(MOREPIC1)Face2News/Mumbai
In a special episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 16 on Sony Entertainment Television, host Amitabh Bachchan paid a heartfelt tribute to the brave heroes of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, offering prayers for the innocent lives tragically lost that day. The episode featured frontline warriors Shri Vishwas Nangre Patil, Additional Director General of Police, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Maharashtra, and Sanjay Govilkar, Additional Superintendent of Police, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Mumbai, who graced the hotseat.
(SUBHEAD)Shri Vishwas Nangre Patil, who served as Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for Zone-1 in South Mumbai during the attacks, began the episode by reciting a poignant poem, Main Khakhi Hoon by Sukriti Madhav. He also shared stories of the tragic loss of innocent lives on that ill-fated night, and host Amitabh Bachchan, moved by his words, remarked, “I would like to stand and pay our respects to you.”
Recounting the events of the terror attack, Shri Vishwas Ji said, “That night, our meeting lasted till late because the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, was scheduled to come to Mumbai for an event on the 28th. I had recently been posted in Mumbai, and my wife was serving me dinner. I was still in uniform because my night round was about to begin at 12. When I received a call instructing me to rush to Leopold Café, my driver was downstairs, and I had called him to be ready.
As I was giving instructions, I got another call about the situation at the Taj Hotel, where a grenade blast was heard and AK-47 gunfire was reported. It quickly became clear this was a terrorist attack, and I decided to head to the Taj. By then, the terrorists had killed 11 people and injured several others. There was a gate at the entrance, and I had previously suggested replacing the glass gate with an iron grill, but that couldn’t be done because it was a heritage site. Ironically, the terrorists broke through that very gate to enter.”
Amitabh Bachchan, visibly shaken, said, “We learned that many of your team members were martyred in the crossfire, and many lives were lost. This is truly heartbreaking. Hearing you speak about it leaves us trembling. How do you have the courage to carry out such tasks?”
Reflecting on the loss, Sanjay further shared, “At the time, we found out that many from our team were no longer with us. I was very close to them.” He also recounted a deeply emotional moment: “In a bathtub, a mother lay with her 3-year-old child, protecting the child from the attack. I cannot sleep even today when I think about it.”
Reciting a patriotic verse, Sanjay added, “Duniya mein mil jayenge aashiq kayi, magar vatan se khoobsurat sanam nahi hota, noto mein simat kar mare, sone mein lipat kar marein hain kayi, magar tirange se khoobsurat kafan nahi hota!”. These words left Amitabh Bachchan, and the audience awestruck, with chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai!” resonating in the studio.
