Early arrival of police at the Cama Hospital, where ACP Sadanand Date and his team fought a pitched battle with the 26/11 terrorists, could have made things different, the special court on Monday observed in its verdict in the Mumbai attack case. "Had the police reached in time to provide help to Additional Commissioner of Police Sadanand Date who fought a pitched battle with terrorists with his team at Cama Hospital, the result would have been different...there has been some delay," Judge M L Tahaliyani said in Mumbai.
Terrorists killed seven persons and injured another 10 in Cama Hospital while they shot dead nine persons and injured seven outside the hospital. Tahaliyani also disagreed with the prosecution's case that the two terrorists -- Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail -- had planned to go to Malabar Hill after striking terror at Cama Hospital and Metro Junction.
"The entire theory about a hand-drawn map seized from the trousers of slain terrorist Abu Ismail does not fit here," he said.
According to police, the map showed the route towards Malabar Hill and was recovered from Ismail when he was shot dead at Girgaum Chowpatty.
Tahaliyani said in his opinion the two terrorists were to stay put at Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Terminus but due to some mistake they crossed the foot overbridge outside CST and came to Cama Hospital. PTI
