|
Somita Pal speaks to three witnesses who lived to tell the tale of the fidayeen attack that, by last count, left 125 dead and 287 injured
Remesh Cheruvoth (40)
Injury: Bullet on shoulder
Injured at: Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, 1st floor
Reasons for being on spot: Dinner with his boss Andreas Liveras and friends
Works as: Cruise director of Liveras Yachts
Now at: JJ hospital
"We were crouching under our dining tables when two terrorists entered the room and began shooting randomly with their AK-47s. My boss, Andreas Liveras, died after
he took a bullet to his temple. I was hit on my right shoulder. Some people urinated out of fear.
After the terrorists left, Liveras's friend Ravishankar bandaged my shoulder with a strip from a tablecloth. Twelve hours passed before Black Cat commandos rescued us at 8 pm.
The hotel was littered with cartridge shells and the ceiling was riddled with bullet marks. At JJ Hospital, I learned that the bullet had narrowly missed my lungs."
Sanjay Kathar (23)
Injury: Grenade attack. Injured his back, stomach
Injured at: Colaba market
Works as: Team leader with Zenith call centre
Reasons for being on spot: Curiosity
Now at: JJ Hospital
"I was at work, when my friend told me that the cracker-like sounds we were hearing were gunshots being fired randomly by two men. When I came down to see what was happening, I saw a masked man, who was carrying a bag, lob a grenade in my direction. I fell down bleeding. I phoned my friend Kailash. Unfortunately, given the condition, he could only meet me at St George Hospital, where I was admitted. I was later shifted to JJ Hospital.
Anamika Gupta (28)
Injury: Four bullets on lower abdomen, left thigh
Injured at: Colaba market
Works as: Beautician
Reasons for being on spot: Shopping with friends
Now at: JJ Hospital
"We began running when we heard the gunshots. I fell down after I got shot, and saw that my friends had sustained injuries as well. I couldn't call anyone for help, as I discovered that I had lost my mobile phone and bag. As I lost consciousness, the fear that I would die on the street gripped me. I opened my eyes at the hospital, the next day. My friend Anamika's parents only learned at 8 am that she was hurt in the terror attack."
Mayor Shubha Raul was there
"I learnt of the attack at 10.30 pm. Not one of my TV sets was functional. My husband and I drove on the empty streets and reached in time to witness the firing near JJ flyover. Later, we checked CCTV grabs of the gun battle between the police and the terrorists at the BMC disaster cell till 1.30 am. On our way back home, I advised policemen entering ill-lit gullies to confront the terrorists to wear bulletproof jackets. At Girgaum Chowpatty, I saw the terrorists, who had been shot dead by the police. The police advised us to change our route." | 
