Vinita Kamte, Maharashtra

Three officers died fighting terrorists during 26/11. The top politicians, officers and commissioners of police publicly criticized them and put the entire blame for their death on the “foolishness” and “stupidity” of these officers. Questions were raised – “why did all three of them simultaneously reach Cama hospital? They did not understand the seriousness of the situation.” Politicians raised these questions even at the time of condolence of these officers.

Vinita Kamte, wife of late Ashok Kamte, decided to find the truth. She had too much faith in her husband’s intelligence. Thinking that she was the wife of a former senior police officer and therefore, she would be provided all information, she wrote a letter to the police commissioner requesting for copies of call records between ground zero and Police Control Room (PCR). After 1992 Mumbai riots, on the recommendations of Srikrishna committee, all calls to PCR are audio recorded and transcribed. Her request was rejected by the police commissioner. She decided to use RTI. Her RTI request was also rejected. She filed first appeal. It was ordered that she be provided all information. However, during inspection, her sister was shown some vague photocopies. They said that the originals were with Ram Pradhan Committee commission. When Vinita wrote to the committee, the committee said that the originals were with police only and that the committee had also been provided with photocopies. This means that something was wrong and the police were trying to hide something.

On the orders of State Information Commission, she finally received copies of all call records. The information was quite shocking.

The information revealed that all the three officers reached Cama hospital on specific instructions from the PCR. For instance, Ashok Kamte came to know that there was something wrong. Since he was additional commissioner of East zone, he rushed to his area. He received a phone call from Gafoor, police commissioner, at 10.15 pm asking him to reach Hotel Trident in south Mumbai. While on his way, he was asked by Rakesh Marya, who was in charge of the PCR, to reach Cama Hospital where shootout was going on. That is how Ashok reached Cama Hospital.

Hemant Karkare, ATF chief, went to CST. He was also asked by PCR to reach Cama Hospital. Salaskar, police inspector, belonged to crime branch. He was asked to report at crime branch. On his way, he came across two of his seniors in the middle of shootout. He stayed back to help them.

That is how all three of them reached Cama hospital.

Regarding the allegation that they did not understand the seriousness of the situation, the records indicate otherwise.

At 11.24 pm, Karkare asks PCR to immediately seal the front gate of Cama hospital as two terrorists were fighting from that side. He also asked for army and more police.