Mumbai Terror Attacks

According to officials, on Monday, an anonymous phone call was received by the Hotel Lalit, near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, and the hotel authorities immediately alerted the Sahar Police Station. The caller reportedly warned that they had placed at least four bombs inside the hotel and demanded an extortion amount of Rs 5 crore to defuse them.

26/11 was no different and replete with examples of how the Mumbai Police's personnel - at all levels - acted on the ground to contain the marauding LeT terrorists till the armed forces and NSG entered the fray.

The Senate hearings, which had inputs from intelligence officials, FBI and NYPD, in detail discussed the modus operandi of the attacks and the preparations made by the terrorists. "They fired in controlled, disciplined bursts. When our liaisons toured the hotels and railway stations, they saw bullet holes that showed shots were fired in groups of three aimed at head level," US officials had said during the hearings.

This emerged from the detailed two-session hearing of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the U.S. Senate, which were conducted on January 8 and 28, 2009. The committee was chaired by Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, whose legislation had paved the way for the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, and attended by 15 other U.S. Senators and security experts.

Former ACP Pathan claimed that Param Bir had taken the mobile phone seized from the 2008 Mumbai terror attack convict Mohammed Ajmal Kasab and vandalized it. Pathan drafted an elaborate letter to file a written complaint against Param Bir earlier this year in July. He asked the Mumbai Police Commissioner to investigate this matter and take appropriate action against Param Bir.

"My heartfelt tributes to the martyrs and homage to the victims of the 26/11 #MumbaiTerrorAttacks. The nation will always be grateful for the bravery and sacrifice of the security forces who laid down their lives in the line of duty," President Kovind tweeted. Paying homage to the heroes, Shah tweeted in Hindi: "I pay tributes to the martyrs of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks who faced the terrorists valiantly. The entire country will be proud of their valour and remain indebted for their sacrifice."

Today, as India looks towards Pakistan and demands punishment to the culprits, Pakistan continues to deny all the allegations. In November 2008, 10 terrorists entered into India from Pakistan via the sea route and opened fire indiscriminately, targeting multiple important locations in Mumbai. The multi-targeted attacks killed at least 166 people, including at 18 security personnel besides injuring several others.