‘Ajmal Kasab shot me’: 17 years later, survivor of 26/11 Mumbai attack recalls harrowing night

ASubsister of the 26/11 bombay threat attacks has shared an emotional calculate of the nighttime that changed her life forever. Recalling the moment the gunfire began, she said, “The night when I was shot, I saw this terrorist shooting and many people were killed in front of me. I have not been able to forget that night. Every year a number is counted, but for us that night remains the same.”Speaking to ANI, the woman described in vivid detail how the memories of that horrific night continue to haunt her even after 17 years.Even today, she said the images of the attack are as clear as they were on the first night. “Even today I remember that night in the same way as I saw it.”The survivor was asked to identify Ajmal Kasab in court. She recalled, “When I saw Kasab firing at the station, I went to the court on 10th June and identified Kasab.”Also read| Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to 26/11 terror attack victims: ‘India will never forget their sacrifice’Inside the courtroom, she said there were attempts to mislead her during the identification process.“When three people were kept in front of me in the courtroom, I had to identify Kasab. The one who was sitting on the side of the judge was Ajmal Kasab. They tried to confuse me. They said, you are saying this, you are saying that. I said, no, this is the terrorist who shot me.”Also read| 26/11 acquitted accused can’t work as auto driverDescribing Kasab’s expression during the attack, she said, “There was no fear on his face. It felt like he was getting happiness by killing us. He was enjoying that thing while firing. And the face of that person is still in my mind. He has not been able to come out yet.”The survivor also spoke about the long struggle she faced after the attack, particularly in getting the government to fulfil its promises.“I got a lot of promises in 17 years. And often the government forgets. I mean, after saying it, it forgets,” she said.“I was also told to go home. It took a lot of time, but I finally got home. The house from which I am giving the interview, I got it from the government. But I got it from the judiciary.”She credited her advocates, Usha Benz and later Kunika Lal for helping her secure the court order. Before that, she had been pleading for help publicly.“For years, I used to go to the media and to everyone. I used to tell them to give me a house. Listen to me. Why is my word not heard? But nothing worked until I reached the court.”“I am happy with this. But a lot of promises that the government has made, they have forgotten. Like they will support us, if there is any problem, they will stand with us. The government forgets. It is a pity. The government sleeps, but we do everything.”26/11 Mumbai attackOn November 26, 2008, Mumbai was rocked by a series of coordinated terror attacks, in which 166 people lost their lives and over 300 were injured.The armed militants from the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) entered the city via the sea and carried out a series of coordinated attacks across multiple high-profile locations, including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident Hotel, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station, and Nariman House.(With inputs from agencies)