Within two months of getting injured in the terror attacks, Maruti Phad, one of the key witnesses in the Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar encounter, is back to work at Mantralaya.

Phad, a driver of the Medical Education and Drugs Department, was fired at by terrorists Kasab and Ismail Khan near Rang Bhavan, before they went on to attack the police officers. Phad, who stays on the premises of the St George Hospital, was reporting to a call by the secretary on November 26 soon after the terror attacks began.

In a white Honda City, Phad was driving out of the back lane of GT and Cama hospitals towards the main road when the two terrorists — later identified as Ajmal Kasab and Ismail Khan — appeared and started shooting. In the blind firing, Phad also received a bullet on his back which he could remove with his hands.

When his tyres burst, he decided to feign death by slipping to the floor of the car and positioning his bleeding hand over his face.

Though Phad had removed the bullet on his back by himself as he lay crouched at the bottom of the car, the injuries on his hand resulted in the loss of ring finger and severe damage to middle and last fingers.

Phad is scheduled to undergo a checkup with a hand reconstruction specialist doctor even as his daily physiotherapy sessions continue.

“I was getting restless just sitting at home, so I rejoined work. My physiotherapy sessions are being conducted for an hour everyday. I cannot drive yet so I’m doing departmental work. How long can I stay at home?” says the 32-year-old who has been working with the department for a decade.