NRI undergoes psychiatric treatment after revisiting Taj room he was stuck in during 26/11; says he doesn't want to visit hotel again
NRI undergoes psychiatric treatment after revisiting Taj room he was stuck in during 26/11; says he doesn't want to visit hotel againDeepak Dutta (48), an NRI businessman from the US, was the first guest to check into the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower on December 21, last year, after it reopened following the 26/11 attacks and has been experiencing severe nightmares since then.
Dutta was actually revisiting the room on the sixteenth floor of the Taj, where he had been stuck, when the terrorists struck on November 26, last year. He has been undergoing psychiatric treatment since then.
"After witnessing the horrifying attacks, I thought living in the room I had occupied during the attacks would help me get rid of my fears.
It was a wrong step. Since then, the sound of bullets and grenades continues to haunt me," said Dutta, who takes medication to cope with his condition.
|
|
Hanuman Travels: Deepak Dutta holds aloft the copy of Hanuman Chalisa that helped him tide over the terrifying hours he was holed up in his room in the Taj on 26/11. |
Dutta said he kept chanting the Hanuman Chalisa after he got a call warning him about some firing in the lobby. "I had returned from the Chambers, where a party was in progress.
A few minutes later, I got a call asking me to lock the doors of the room. The terrorists had begun firing in the lobby," said Dutta.
The NSG commandos rescued him the next day. "The commandos took me and some others to safety through the kitchen.
There were splashes of red on the walls and pools of blood on the floors. Walking over it was very disturbing. I shouldn't have visited the Taj again. It has wrecked my health," he said.
"I am happy that Mumbai police is working hard to make the city more secure. Since I returned back to the US, I have been getting my worst nightmares ever.
u00a0
I hope my health improves. I am coping with the situation by taking regular medication.
My doctors have asked me not share my 26/11 experience with anyone and everyone, as it can push me into depression" said Dutta, who says he does not want to stay at the Taj again.
PTSD DecodedPost-traumatic stress disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any tragic or threatening event that results in psychological trauma.
