13 Years Of 26/11: Remembering The Gallant Hemant Karkare

Former Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare was one of the bravest officers that Indian soil had birthed. He sacrificed his life while fighting the terrorists who had stormed Mumbai on November 26, 2008. The international and national news media hailed him as a daredevil cop whose courage was incomparable. He was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, India's highest military decoration in peacetime, for his indomitable courage and undying spirit. Even though his death has etched a mark on Indian history like a bullet mark on a wall, his legacy is something that several top cops aspire for in their service years.

Education And Initial Career

Karkare had completed all his education in Maharashtra. After graduating from Mechanical Engineering, he worked for the National Productivity Council under the Government of India. He later worked for Hindustan Lever Limited (now Hindustan Unilever Limited) before joining the Indian Police Services in 1982. During his career in the Police, Karkare had served for seven years in the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and had led the investigation in the Malegaon blasts in 2006 that killed eight people and injured 80. In October 2008, ATS had arrested 11 suspects in the blast case, including ABVP student leader Pragya Singh Thakur.

The Indian Express had quoted the top cop saying, "I don't know why this case has become so political. The pressure is tremendous, and I am wondering how to extricate it from all the politics".

How Events Transpired On 26/11?

On November 26, 2008, Karkare received a call at 9:45 PM informing him of the attack on Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST). He switched on the television and immediately prepared to leave with his driver and bodyguards. After reaching CST, he donned the bulletproof jacket and a helmet and approached Platform number 1 but found it empty. The team was informed over wireless that the officials had moved towards Cama and Albless Hospital. A terrorist named Ismail Khan appeared in front of their vehicle and let loose a volley of bullets on their car. Karkare and other police officials Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar were outside Cama hospital when the terrorists had opened fire on their vehicle.

In 2019, his daughter Jui Karkare, the eldest of all siblings, had written a book on him and had titled it "Hemant Karkare: A Daughter'sDaughter's Memoir".

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