Vinita Kamte has alleged in her book To The Last Bullet that Mumbai police crime branch chief Rakesh Maria, manning the main control room on 26/11, feigned ignorance about the location of her husband, police officer Ashok Kamte and two other senior cops Hemant Karkare and Vijay Salaskar. However, call log details other than the ones she has mentioned in her book reveal a picture of confusion in the control room that resulted in inaccurate information being passed on.
Hindustan Times is in possession of these call logs.
“We included only those which were needed. This is not to make it confusing,” said Vinita. “It takes away from the main idea.”
What the book says:
Between 12.19 am and 12.37 am, Kamte’s wireless operator informed the main control room about firing on Kamte’s car which he had left at the rear of Cama Hospital before accompanying Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare and encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar to Rang Bhavan Lane where they were ambushed by Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail.
What the book does not say:
At 12.15 am Deputy Commissioner of Police (HQ I) V.M. Jadhav informed the main control room about “firing from inside a police jeep”.
He also said the vehicle started “firing from Cama Hospital, went through Metro Cinema and has gone towards Charni Road”. At 12.25 am, the main control room received a call from Salaskar’s team member, Arun Jadhav, who survived the attack on the police jeep in which the three officers were travelling, about the vehicle. Ten minutes later, the control room tried to establish eastern region’s (Kamte) location on his walkie-talkie. It did not get any response.
{{/usCountry}}He also said the vehicle started “firing from Cama Hospital, went through Metro Cinema and has gone towards Charni Road”. At 12.25 am, the main control room received a call from Salaskar’s team member, Arun Jadhav, who survived the attack on the police jeep in which the three officers were travelling, about the vehicle. Ten minutes later, the control room tried to establish eastern region’s (Kamte) location on his walkie-talkie. It did not get any response.
{{/usCountry}}What the book says:
At 12.47 am, Karkare’s operator had informed the main control room about the three officers sustaining injuries and being taken to GT Hospital. Two minutes later, a message is sent from a vehicle at LT Marg to south region control room about taking Kamte and Salaskar to GT Hospital.
What the book does not say:
Immediately after receiving this information, the main control room asked Karkare’s operator thrice to repeat the information “clearly” as information had not been received. Two minutes after south region got information about Kamte and Salaskar, Karkare’s operator called the main control room to inform that Kamte had been taken to Bombay Hospital. In two subsequent calls, the control room asked the operator to confirm the information. No reply.
At 1.10 am, a conversation between Karkare’s operator and main control room reveals the operator saying that Karkare has been taken to JJ Hospital, while the main control room reads it as GT Hospital.
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