I was on night duty in the Thane-CST second-class ladies compartment. I boarded the train from Ambernath at 8.54 pm and it reached CST at 9.45 pm. I immediately heard gunshots.
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At your command: This plainclothes policeman was brave and took my rifle to shoot at the terrorists. Unfortunately, he was killed soon after. PIC COURTESY/CST RAILWAY POLICE, REDIFF.COM
CST - Sudam Pandarkar, 58
Assistant Police Sub Inspector, GRP
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I was on night duty in the Thane-CST second-class ladies compartment. I boarded the train from Ambernath at 8.54 pm and it reached CST at 9.45 pm. I immediately heard gunshots.
I rushed in that direction and saw blood everywhere. Injured commuters were everywhere; the others running for cover.
Inspector Shashank Shinde [who later died in the attack] rushed towards me and instructed me to follow him.
I fired two rounds from my rifle spotting one of the terrorists, but the bullets missed him.
A plainclothes policeman [later identified as Ambadas Pawar] took my rifle and opened fire. Minutes later, I felt pain around my chest and I saw blood oozing out.
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I still don't know how it happened without warning. Then I saw both Shinde and Pawar lying in a pool of blood, a few metres away.
A railway staffer spotted me and took me to St George Hospital, where I was told that I had an entry and exit bullet wound. After discharge, I went to my hometown in Ahmednagar district.
A year later
Pandarkar seemed quite nonchalant about 26/11 when he spoke with MiD DAY.
"While serving the railways for over 30 years, I have shifted many train accident victims to hospitals, and the scene at CST on 26/11 was no different. I do not get nightmares about the incident," said Pandarkar.
He does, however, acknowledge that it's unfortunate that so many innocent people died.
"My advice to those who have lost loved ones is that they should come out stronger and move on.
The only answer to terrorism is to stand united and fight," he said. Pandarkar is due for retirement next month and wants to spend the rest of his life farming.
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