Excerpts of their phone conversations were presented by the prosecution in the Special Sessions Court holding the trial into the carnage. Indian security agencies had intercepted conversations between the terrorists and their handlers and recorded them for evidence. Last week, the court heard conversations between the terrorists at the Taj Mahal Hotel and the handlers. At The Oberoi, with one of the terrorists gunned down by the NSG, a Pakistan-based handler tells the other gunman to be courageous and continue fighting until he is killed.

Fahadullah: Abdul Rehman bhaiyya Allah ko pyare ho gaye (Brother Abdul Rehman is dead).

Handler: Allah Qabool kare, mere veer sabar karna hain. Himmat karni hain, aur muqabla karna hain datke (May Allah embrace him. You have to be patient, have courage and carry on fighting).

Fahadullah, who is holed up in a bathroom on one of the floors of the hotel, with the NSG having taken over the neighbouring rooms, takes stock of the ammunition left with him. The handler then gives him detailed instructions on how to attempt an escape from the room.

Handler: Fahadullah mere veer, ladai ki koi shikast banti nahin, ki aap bahar aakar lade. Grenade phekkar waha se nikalne ki koshish karey, kahi aur jaa sakey (My brave Fahadullah, you have to come out and fight. Try to escape to another position by lobbing hand grenades)

Fahadullah: Grenade phek di hain dono (I have already thrown both grenades)

Handler: Ab kalashan magazine kitni hain tumhare paas?’ (How many AK-47 magazines do you have?)

Fahadullah: Mere paas do hi hain (I have just two)

Subsequently, the handler cautions Fahadullah not to fall unconscious to smoke bombs that may be fired by the NSG.

Handler: Aisa na ho ki wey dhuye ka bomb phekkar aap ko behosh kar de aur jaye aur aapko utha le. Woh bada nuksan hain. Aap agey badke ladey...fire karo, burst maaro. Uske saath halchal mach jayegi to aap nikalne ki koshis karo (Ensure that you do not fall unconscious when they lob smoke bombs. That would be a big loss. Go ahead and fight...keep firing, fire bursts. Try to come out in the resulting chaos)

The handler also instructs Fahadullah on how to use wet towels to counter the smoke bombs.

Handler: Tauliya aur pani jab wey dhuye ke bomb phekengey, to uska tod ho sakey, yarri mein rehna mere yaar (Towel and water can counter the smoke bomb when they are lobbed at you. Remember this)

With Fahadullah’s death inevitable as the NSG operation intensifies, his handler motivates him by telling him that his death would mean that their project had succeeded.

Handler: Himmat karni hain mere veer, ghabrana nahi hain. Inshah Allah goli lagey to kamyabi hain, Allah intezar kar raha hain...Banda fire kar raha ho aur Allah dua qabool karta hain, apne bhai buzurgo ke barey main, apne barey mein sab kasme vaade dua karo (You have to have courage my brave man, do not be afraid. God willing, if you are shot it will mean success. Allah is waiting...While you keep firing, Allah will accept your prayers for your brothers and elders, pray for yourself also)

To ensure that Fahadullah was not taken alive, the handler instructs him to keep his mobile phone switched on in his shirt pocket so that the gun battle could be heard.

Handler: Theek hain, Allah aapki hifazat karey, himmat karey. Aap phone jeb mein rakho. Band mat rakhna beshakh. Hamey pata chelega aap kya kar rahe ho. Front waley jeb mein daal do, ab mat nikaalna (Ok, may Allah protect you, have courage. Keep your phone in your pocket. Don’t switch it off. We will get to know what you are doing. Keep it in your front pocket, don’t take it out now)