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“He died in the line of duty,” said Dr Tilu Mangeshikar on hearing the news of his death. Dr Mangeshikar was attending a marriage reception at the Crystal Room of the Taj along with her husband and daughter on that fateful night when firing started around 9.45 pm.
At around 2 am, Mangeshikar recalls that about a hundreds guests were evacuated when the terrorist opened fire at them from close quarters. “The three cops who were overseeing the evacuation operation suddenly disappeared and in that skirmish we were at a loss as to where to proceed. That’s when the hotel staff went beyond the call of duty and stood in a line in order to guide us to one of the four rooms of the business centre. They could have scrambled to safety themselves as they knew all the back passages well,” said Dr Mangeshikar, an anaesthetist and intensivist at the Bombay and Breach Candy hospitals.
It was at this moment that a bullet hit Kamble, who worked with the maintenance department at the Taj.
“The bullet hit the side of his spine and tore his spleen. It had perforated his bowels leaving his intestines exposed,” said Mangeshikar who stayed up the whole night trying to save a sinking Kamble with the help of sheets available in the hotel room and the painkillers borrowed from foreign nationals in the room.
“He was very brave. He was going through an extreme degree of pain yet he knew when to keep quite during the three times the terrorists came back to start firing outside the room,” said Dr Mangeshikar.
Kamble’s ordeal went on till 8 am on Thursday till the group was finally rescued. Since then, he has been fighting a losing battle in the Critical Care Unit at JJ hospital. “All along we have been telling his wife that his injuries are minor so as to calm her down,” said Prakash Padwal, a colleague at the Taj while waiting to collect Kamble’s body at the hospital on Wednesday afternoon. Padwal, a friend of the Kamble family for the last 10 years, had finished his day shift and left the hotel last Wednesday evening.
Kamble is survived by his wife and two children—eight-year-old Rohan and two-year-old Atharwa. He had been employed with the Taj for 20 years and was the sole breadwinner of his family that lives in a 240-sq ft chawl in Borivili.
Said Dr Arun Patil, the general surgeon at JJ hospital, “When Kamble was brought in, he was in a critical state as the infection had already started spreading due to the precious time lost. I have operated on so many patients but I felt really bad when despite all our efforts to save him he did not survive.”
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the man rajan kamble left his two children
Shri Kamble has shown extreme devotion of duty and saved lives of several customers .Surely the blessings of all those Customers/guests and thierfamilly members AND EVERYONE who read this brave story will shower upon brave KAMBLES family.
We gave crores to the victorious cricket team. Cricketers who are already mega-rich. Now let us see how our system compensates the real heros in our nation. Let us see what is the value of the life of a brave selfless man who gave his life to save others. Let us see how our country provides for his widow and children. This is the test of the real character of our nationhood.
Is JJ hospital the best state of the art hospital in Mumbai in cases involving life and death situation? I doubt. Where was the Tata Management". Why could they shift him to any good state of the art hospital" Surely Kamble was doing a great deed beyond the call of duty. As a citizen of India, I am baffled at this show of apathy by those whom I thought matter in this country. I pray GOD to give Kamble's family enough courage to withstand the loss. May his soul rest in peace.
I had hoped Kambe would make it. This is very sad. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CONTRIBUTE TO GOVT FUNDS FOR THE VICTIMS! .There is no way they will receive any of it. FORGET THE PM's FUND. From experience I find that Care Today, a division of India today, does a good job and NDTV acheived a lot with funds collected during the Tsunami. Alternately, write to Ratan Tata asking him to open a fund - I'm sure they can be trusted to do the right thing for their empolyees
Hotel staff put their lives at stake to save so many, it is remarkable, while police ran away in some cases as in this case. In fact there was no police controlling any crowds for days near the hotel. What would have happened if those implanted bombs exploded near the entrance, many more would have died. Hotel staff need to be honored for their courage, what they did was beyond their regular duty, their job was not even related to security.
May God bless and keep this honorable amn and his family.
To all Indians - I have one question for you all, what positive thing have you done today to improve india? Dont even contemplate to post a reply to my question, just stop doing whatever you are doign and think. Be honest to your self and ask yourself, what have i done today to improve india, its people and my life. We can point fingers and blame all and sundry till the world ends but no good will come out of it. How many of you have stood in the middel of the road and pissed infront of millions broad daylight, how many of you have abused cursed and belittled your own kind in your own country today. How many of you have woken today with only on thought in mind, to make money by whatever means possible and if that means to cheat the country and its people. Wake up Indians, if you dont wake up now and improve your preception, ideologies and deeds then India is doomed for eternity. We dont need terrorist to kil india, at present indias own children are doing a very good job of it. peace
It took almost a week for any politician to apologize for anything and why will they? We dont apologize for the wrong we do. We let our children commit all kinds of wrong and refuse to acknowledge it or correct them. We perform our duties badly and expect our customers not to complain. We treat the police with barely any respect. WE NEED TO CHANGE, and only then will the country change.
This is an exemplary act. Mr Kamble is a true hero, like some other heroes who emerged in these events. People like him should have streets and airports named after them!
Pakistan has never fought battle whole heartedly against terrorism. Actually if you do more research at ground level you would be surprised that terrorist have been supported and trained by govt agencies even today - directly or indirectly. This is collaborated both US forces, Afghanistan and India. These terrorists are their bargaining power to get money, attention and militia to carry their dirty work. How would you get them off it? Right now the problem Pakistan is too strong for even US to go inside and take the terrorist out. Same is true for India and Afghanistan. If Pakistan was weak it would not dare to support - We all know Bin Laden and other Taliban terrorists are in Pakistan. It is not the terrorist stopping us to go in but really the Pakistan Army. Same is true for India. India has given list of twenty terrorists to Pakistan in 2004
.. Why do good people like Kamble get killed and useless people like Achutanandan, Patil, Thakrey etc live?Why can't they die painful deaths?
great man......god saves his whole family......and govt too must give some compensation....i give full respect to this brave man....kamble.....the great !!!!
Kamble is a real life Hero. Let us all salute him. He went beyond the call of duty and in the process laid down his life. Hope the Taj management will take adequate care of his family.
not only the hotel management but each and every indian must try to take care of his family.
Indians should salute such a brave person, who went out off his line of duty to help fellow humans...His surviving family should be well looked after, perhaps those who he rescued should help their cause, as your government will be off no help.
Reading this, I compelled to believe that still there is humanity and unselfish attitude is in Indian culture. These persons are the truely eligible to salute for their soverignty to the nation as well as helping attitude even going after the self security. Hands off
Will this man get the Ashoka Chakra?
GOD BLESS KAMBLE'S SOUL. I FEEL VERY VERY SAD THINKING OF HIM. IF ONLY I COULD HAVE HELPED IN SOME WAY. I REALLY WANT TO CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING. CAN ANYONE JOIN ME?I HOPE THE TAJ REWARDS AND TAKES GOOD CARE OF HIS FAMILY.
We definitely should do something and contribute in whatever way we can.Let's be different in comparison to thep oliticians who only speak but no action.i join you.
All of you type Hero's will be remembered as the gems of India, who unlike the corrupted person, gave their lives to save our. Thank you
SAHIDON KO SALAAM
why does the press not start a support fund for families affected by terrorists adn for those who died in line for duty .Surely when staff at Hotels could go beyond their line of duty ,It is high time press also broadens its role and responsibilities .Country needs you guys in amore active role .Jai Hind
Its a degree of pride to see such people still amidst us who take things on their stride. May GOD bless kamble and his family.
Hats off Dear Kamble.God is great and will take care of his family.Should you raise a Fund do let me also contribute to this noble cause. Being a ret.soldier i consider guilty could not be of any use to my country in this hour of need. JAI HIND
Salute to the Brave people
Here is a Maharashtrian whom the whole of India is proud to call an Indian,he gave his life so that others can live.May his soul rest in peace and God grant solace to the bereaved family.
There are lots of such unsung heroes. Is it possible for indian express to let us know what we can do (small amount, but still it may be of help to the family), how we can contribute to the affected families?