Thanks to ASI Tukaram Omble, at least one terrorist was captured alive
The two terrorists were armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles and hand grenades; he carried just a walkie-talkie. There was no way assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Tukaram Omble, 48, could have survived the encounter. But before dying, he ensured that at least one of the 26/11 terrorists was caught alive.
Omble was asked by his senior to take up position on Marine Drive on Wednesday night, after the news of firings at Leo-pold Café, Oberoi and Taj Hotels came in.
Around 12.45 am, he got an alert on his walkie-talkie that two terrorists had hijacked a Skoda car and were heading for Girgaum Chowpatty. Just minutes later, the Skoda whizzed past him.
Omble jumped on to his two-wheeler and chased the car. A team from DB Marg police station was setting up a naka bandi at the chowpatty signal. As the car approached the signal, the terrorists opened fire on the cops, but were forced to reduce speed because of the barricades.
Omble overtook the Skoda and stopped in front of it, forcing the driver of the car to swerve right and hit the divider. With the terrorists momentarily distracted, Omble sprang toward one of them, Amir Kasab, and gripped the barrel of the AK47 rifle with both hands. With the barrel pointing towards Omble, Amir pulled the trigger. A spray of bullets entered his stomach and intestine. Omble collapsed, but held on to the gun till he breathed his last, stopping Amir from shooting anyone else.
The other cops, who by that time had killed the other terrorist, Ismail, pounced on Amir and captured him. The investigation agencies were reported to have gathered a lot of information from the sole terrorist captured.
Omble is survived by his wife and four daughters. He is a real hero. Let’s salute him.
