Sixteen years ago, on this day, NSG commandos were engaged in a fierce gun battle with eight Pakistani terrorists at Mumbai's Taj Mahal Hotel, Trident Hotel, and Nariman House. While all eight terrorists were eliminated by the morning of Nov. 29, 2008, on the very first night of the attacks, a Mumbai Police team killed one of the terrorists, Abu Ismail, and captured his accomplice, Ajmal Kasab, alive. Lauding the bravery of the police, Anil Deshmukh, who was the home minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, announced in 2020 that all the police personnel involved in the encounter and Kasab's capture would receive a one-step promotion. Four years on, the officers are still waiting for their reward.
Hemant Bavdhankar retired as a senior inspector of the Mumbai Police in 2022. He could have retired as an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) had the Maharashtra government kept its promise. Bavdhankar was no ordinary cop. Of the ten Pakistani terrorists who stormed Mumbai on Nov. 26, 2008, eight were killed by the National Security Guards (NSG). Of the remaining two, Abu Ismail was shot dead by Bavdhankar, while Kasab was arrested alive by his team.
After hijacking a Skoda car from a hotelier at Nariman Point, terrorists Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail headed towards Girgaon Chowpatty on Marine Drive. An alert was sounded, and police stations across the city were instructed to barricade roads and conduct nakabandis. A team from the D.B. Marg police station barricaded the Café Ideal junction at Girgaon Chowpatty. When the duo was confronted by the police team at the junction, they attempted a U-turn to escape. However, Assistant Sub-Inspector Tukaram Ombale, who had been following them from Nariman Point on his motorcycle, seized the opportunity when the car slowed down due to the barricade. Ismail was in the driver's seat, and Kasab was seated next to him. Ombale pounced on Kasab and grabbed his neck. Kasab, who was holding a Kalashnikov, fired, killing Ombale instantly. Another officer, Inspector Sanjay Govilkar, was injured. The police team retaliated with gunfire, and Inspector Hemant Bavdhankar shot Ismail in the forehead, killing him. With Ismail neutralised, police constables disarmed Kasab, who was about to be lynched, but senior officers realised the importance of capturing him alive to unravel the conspiracy.
Capturing Kasab alive provided an information goldmine that same night. His interrogation revealed that the conspiracy to attack Mumbai was planned by terrorist organisations based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The ten terrorists had been sent via sea from Karachi. Without Kasab's capture, it would have been difficult for Indian agencies to establish Pakistan's role in the attacks.
It is no secret that politicians often fail to fulfil their promises. Election manifestos are designed to appeal to voters and secure power. However, making false promises to voters is different from failing to honour commitments to members of the armed forces. The brave officers of the Mumbai Police, like Bavdhankar, are victims of such political propaganda.
In March 2020, during the budget session of the Maharashtra Legislature, then-Home Minister Anil Deshmukh praised the bravery and alertness of the DB Marg police team. He announced that the state government would grant a “one-step promotion” to all fourteen police personnel who participated in the Girgaon Chowpatty encounter. The announcement delighted the officers, who were already being hailed as heroes. A one-step promotion would mean a sub-inspector becoming a police inspector, an inspector becoming a senior inspector, and a senior inspector becoming an assistant police commissioner, with better pay and perks. However, three years after the announcement, the promised promotions remain unfulfilled. Deshmukh, who remained home minister for about a year after the announcement, failed to implement it before being jailed in a money laundering case. Despite follow-ups from the media and concerned officers, his successor, Dilip Walse Patil, also took no action. Similarly, Uddhav Thackeray, under whose leadership the promise was made, did not ensure its implementation despite the principle of “collective responsibility.”
Since the announcement, several officers, including Bavdhankar, have retired, while others remain hopeful. Those in service are just getting the one-step additional increment but not the rank. In June 2022, a new government came to power, with Eknath Shinde as Chief Minister and Devendra Fadnavis as Home Minister. However, the Mahayuti government has also taken no decision on the issue. As the Mahayuti is set to return to power, the officers hope that the new government will fulfil the promise. The announcement was made by Anil Deshmukh not in a personal capacity but as the home minister. The onus now lies on the new home minister to deliver on this commitment.
Jitendra Dixit is a Contributing Editor of NDTV and author of the book Bombay After Ayodhya.
Discalimer: The views expressed here are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views of NDTV Profit or its editorial team.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.