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"A guy shooting madly at diners at Leo's," said the first caller. I hollered for the night reporter Aditya, youngest in our office, and rushed him off. Some loose cannon with a gun, I told myself minutes later, despatching what I thought was the last report of the day.
At 10.10 pm, senior correspondent Prashant Rangnekar and I heard a long rat-tat-tat outside – it could have been dismissed as a long firecracker, but this is The Express Towers, located in the heart of the financial capital's business district, Nariman Point. Wondering what sort of wedding party would burst firecrackers outside here, I walked towards the window from where I could see The Hilton, right opposite.
Prashant came with the next inputs: People running helter skelter outside, the taxi-drivers waiting for their regular long—distance drops had fled, there was firing inside the Hilton. "Some fled without their taxis," he said of the city's most dependable cabbies.
With dozens of others still in the building, many management professionals and bankers working late, security guards, journalists, labourers on the night-shift, I walked down the stairs. There was chaos outside the plush hotel, groups of people huddled around on the pavement opposite, our security guards trying to seal the building entrance, followed by the wail of police vans and ambulances.
"Soon after I saw one body being taken out in a car. Three more bodies were then taken away in a police van," Prashant reported. Soon after, we saw frightened hotel staffers crying as they described the scene inside to lathi-wielding policemen – among the dead were the security staffers of the hotel.
The street was almost deserted for the next few minutes. But even as Prashant walked on the pavement trying to find eye-witnesses, anybody who could make sense of what television had already put out as a gang-war, the Goenka Marg filled with onlookers once again. While policemen and guards tried to warn people off, I climbed three floors to the Express lawn, a vantage point to see what's happening at the Hilton.
Glass windows in the upper floors of the Trident were being shattered. "Bachao Bachao," we could hear desperate shouts, nearly four hundred metres away.
That's when the calls of other attacks -- at VT, at Cama Hospital, at Metro cinema junction, began to come in. Even as phones were ringing off the hook as informants, well-wishers, parents, friends, readers called in, colleagues warned us off the lawn. As I turned, an explosion rocked the building, followed minutes later by another. We could see smoke going up in the distance, hear more panicked wails. More fire-men were running in, an ambulance was backing up to the farther gate, more sirens as, finally, the last few onlookers moved out of the way.
It was quiet for a few minutes. Till news from other parts of the city began to come in.
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it was happen once in usa. n they ended by war against irak.same way we should also have war against pakistan.v offers hands of friendship 2 them n they cuts our hands by doing bomb blasts?.this not fair!.v should take strict action against pak otherwise declared war.enough is enought.by seating quietly they will take more advantages.JAI HIND JAI MAHARASHTRA.
I'm a Brit living in Dubai and am reading all the news reports. My thoughts go out to all the people/families/friends who are effected by this. Its very sad to see such a beautiful city being blown up. I was in the JW Marriott not so long ago and the security was amazing. They had guards with guns, metal detection machines and hand-helds. It was near impossible to get in without having a room card or an invite from someone. How does these people just walk in waving guns and start shotting without anyone stopping them?
People who 'Fight for their Rights' are called as terrorists these days
I think we - citizens all should join hands together ans fight for it, for the right cause.. these corrupted politicians all they can do is give a speech after all this happens and thats about it.. Let's light a fire against this..
Punishment for a crime should be immediate! Justice should not be delayed! A crime is a Crime commited by anybody there should not be differentiated as 'High-Profile' or 'Low-Profile', and most of all convicted criminals should not be let out on bail (Maybe it a Bollywood Star or a Politician or his Son) all should be punished instantly, which is the only way to stop Terrists from coming back again
It happened just once in US (9/11) and they have made all the efforts to to ensure it doesnt happen again. It has become almost a monthly/quarterly affair in India and instead of making sure that are borders do not let the terrorists enter in the country, we are welcoming them through special trains and buses. On top of it the corruption and hunger to make money at any cost has made our law enforcing agencies useless. The only way I see it getting stopped is when the terroists will feel that there is no more "challenge" and "fun" in attacking Indian cities. And so it becomes less rewarding for them to attack us.
So again mumbai in under attack.Thanks to our intelligence /police and Congress party. I am sure they will still not wake up. Our dear incompetent sonia ghandi puppet, Manmohan Singh promised that in 100 days he will wipe out terrorist. I am doutfull wheather he can do this but am certian terrorist will wipe us out. When mumbai ATS was just busy doing nothig except making sensational news terrorist were planning this. The less i write about our intelligence agency RAW which is relatives and wives agency the better it is.So mumbai finally when your police / politician/ dirty beurocrats cannot save you, you fall back on Army. So why dont you rally to send your nation to be in the hand of Army only and feel safe.
So again mumbai in under attack.Thanks to our intelligence /police and Congress party. I am sure they will still not wake up. Our dear incompetent sonia ghandi puppet, Manmohan Singh promised that in 100 days he will wipe out terrorist. I am doutfull wheather he can do this but am certian terrorist will wipe us out. When mumbai ATS was just busy doing nothig except making sensational news terrorist were planning this. The less i write about our intelligence agency RAW which is relatives and wives agency the better it is.So mumbai finally when your police / politician/ dirty beurocrats cannot save you, you fall back on Army. So why dont you rally to send your nation to be in the hand of Army only and feel safe.
God bless India and the people. Once an individual caught by doing a terrorist activity, Do not take him from pillar to post for the witness. Because people like me are paying for it. Kill him then and there. We can eradicate terrorism form our country by killing each terrorist who are caught.
I think the only way this can be avoided is by being vigilant as citizens , having id cards and report to a central authority in case of new immigrants in the locality.This task is not easy esp with the lower class people but we need to have a system where anybody who enters a city however, busstation or train station or airport needs to be authorised only with help of national id cards , something like how we have visa , without which the citizen will not be eligible for any health insurance or banking , entry or exit to any place.Unfortunately these days people are not as social and each obne is their own world, not even aware who is their next door neighbour WE NEED POLITICAL
For long we have been talking about spirit of Mumbai, we boast about ourselves getting back to normalcy even after hundreds of innocent people are killed, I would rather call it incompetency and not spirit. It has become a way of life for not just mumbaikars but for many of the Indians living in various cities. Modern day journalism in their bit to add some masala to their news cook up the story of spirit and never say die attitude, its pure incompetency rather than spirit or anything else. Our intelligence/police/politicians have failed miserably. It is time that a Subhash Chandra Bose rises again and takes charge of this nation. We dont need the present corrupt leaders, I feel so very helpless as nothing works the way they should neither the politicians nor the police/intelligence, who will help this nation??? I would readily vote for the right person...but show me one the politicians who are sincere in this country As supreme court once said...EVEN THE GOD CANNOT HELP THIS NATION!!
Having read the comments from guys named Krishna and Nagesh here, i am convinced about the report in the news that some terrorists are on loose here. Its a pity that people like them are still alive where innocents have lost there life in the tragedy. May their soul rest in peace. I salute the officers who died in the line of duty for our country. People who call them dumb should have been eliminated instead.Jai Hind
I totally agree with shilpa , these terrorists who ever they are anf from where ever they are ....they are trying to disrupt peace....trying to divide the people of the nation ...trying to raise hatred and communal disharmony. The task is simple....catch the culprits and punish them..wjhoever they are muslims, hindus christians , maharashtrian , gujaratis, biharis , from UP or from outside india. And lets not name the terrosists as muslim terrorist or hindu terrorist. terrorism has no religion. And Islam condemns the killings of innocent, the same as the hiduism does.The word islam itself means "Peace".
I think the spirit of Mumbai can take back seat for a moment and its really time for Mumbai to take lessons from at least 2008 terror attacks and protect itself from further attacks.Business as usual attitude of Mumbai will not work unless it learns lessons from history.Finally, it's time for 'home minister' to hang his shoes and allow some young India take position to put the security in order!Bye bye Mr Patil and good bye Congress!
The italian women has not spoken a word till now , I bet she is still planing ways to harress hindus and appesses the the islamic terroists.
I would urge, request, beg, plead with political parties and community leaders to desist from provoking the common man and carrying out a violent backlash to this abhorring incident. They need to think clearly and not cause anymore damage to our infrastructure and not put anymore pressure on our police and armed forces which are already spread thin. We all know that anymore violence will do more harm than good to everybody.Please pray for peace and quiet and demand strict action against the perpetrators non-violently. This is for the best of Mumbaikars and other fellow Indians.
Shilpa,It is people like you who got this half baked knowledge that has become a curse to this country. Just let me know how you are planning to take action non-violently. Do you have any sense in what you are talking? Read the history of the scum who induced violence on hindus in this country for the past 1000 years first and then write some comments here. If your own family members were the victims maybe then you should have non-violently asked the government to take action. What kind of dream world are you living in? Don't cry like a beggar which another beggar like Gandhi has taught to us before dying. Fight and vote for the right party to lead us. Throw this gandhi sycophants in the shit hole.Hope sense prevails on you
These dumb marti police manoos have not learned their lesson after 1993, 2006 attack. I am happy that ATS head and his dumb assistants are eliminated. These idiots are capable of violating our laws and capable of picking up illegally hindu sadvis and torture her.
mr krishna....u r from which part of contry....if terrorist like u still exist in this world then how we can save our nation.... please think before u speak.u have used the word "eliminated"...if your father or brother get eliminated in this riot what will be ur condition ???so just remember they too have a family.
Mr Krishna, I am shocked at your attitude! How can you condone the killing of our police officers in the line of duty? I am appalled that you are turning this into a communal issue. The other officials killed could be maharashtrian, south-Indian, Bengali, Gujarati...how can you be so ruthless and say you are happy they were eliminated?? Discrimination anywhere in any way is uncalled for. You must desist now from making such deplorable remarks.
dear krishna if u think u r smart enough why don't you fight against the terrorist they don't have religion i am sad by the upbringing u have people like u only bark instead of praising the people like mr. hemant karkare who was a honest officer u r condeming marathi manoos u r no better then these terrorist who fight in the name of religion u don't seem to be a indian at all and do you support a sadhvi about whom u know nothing at all u seem to be very poorly informed and at pity of incorrect knowledge and morever where is the question of marathi manoos in these attacks we should fight against them as indian because the people killed and hostaged are not only marathi but foreiners what say! idiot
Dear Mr.Krishna, you have such a lovely name which upholds the name of lord Krishna.You do not deserve this name. How can you say such a thing - Eliminate the ATS head
Enough journalism spice! Now Impeach Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and prosecute Laloo Prasad and the entire criminal gang who refuse to take Pakistan to war. Gross incompetence. People of India (85%) unanimously demand immediate ouster of these incompetent rascals and bar them from contesting any elections for rest of their lives.
What are you saying, this kind of talk can only make things worse and your call for war is abhorrent and insane!
Mr patil, Can anything good come out of mumbai? It's a place of filthy rats and maggots deep rooted to cause communal violence in the name of sadvis and mujahideen so why to argue about leaders. Leaders are born to enjoy using people as tools, Let it be Lallu or Thakery, It's the same. So take your arms and protect yourself and your family if you want to live.
For long we have been talking about spirit of Mumbai, we boast about ourselves getting back to normalcy even after hundreds of innocent people are killed, I would rather call it incompetency and not spirit. It has become a way of life for not just mumbaikars but for many of the Indians living in various cities. Modern day journalism in their bit to add some masala to their news cook up the story of spirit and never say die attitude, its pure incompetency rather than spirit or anything else. Our intelligence/police/politicians have failed miserably. It is time that a subhash chandra bose rises again and takes charge of this nation. We dont need the present corrupt leaders.