Tukaram Ombale's family will cancel annual visit to Worli police station Ganpati mandal this year because it will refresh painful memories
Tukaram Ombale's family will cancel annual visit to Worli police station Ganpati mandal this year because it will refresh painful memories
Ganpati celebrations are tempered with an air of sobriety at Worli Police Camp Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal at Pochkhanawala Road.
The mandal, located behind the traffic police headquarters, has shunned flamboyant decorations as, "We want to honour the 26/11 martyrs," say volunteers, V Karawde, S Pawar, V Nashte and M Warang.
Worli's brave heart, the late Tukaram Ombale, takes pride of place in a panel with pictures of Ashok Kamte,
V Salaskar, Hemant Karkare and other heroes of last year's terror attacks.
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HOMAGE TO OUR HEROES: Visitors to the mandal look at the photo panel of the 26/11 martyrs |
The organisers added, "Ombale came to the mandal for Ganpati every year. This year, we are waiting for his family, but they haven't visited as yet."
That wait could be endless. Ombale's widow Tarabai said, "I don't think I will go. It would be unbearable." Her daughter Vaishali added, "We have not decided whether we will visit the mandal."
Ganpati devoteeVaishali reminisces about how, "Papa insisted on doing all the preparations for the visit. He would not buy a garland, but made it at home.
He also bought modaks for Ganpati." She added, "Our neighbour's little daughter accompanied us to the mandal. Papa loved kids."
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DIVINE GRACE: The Ganpati of Worli Police Camp at Pochkhanawala Road. |
Tarabai said, "My husband was also ecstatic about the Ganpati celebrations at the D B Marg police station where he was posted. After visarjan, he would return home with his new, white clothes smothered in gulaal."
His family says Ombale was always posted on bandobast duty at Chowpatty during the visarjan of Mumbai's iconic deity, Lalbaugcha Raja. Ironically, it was near Chowpatty that Ajmal Qasab pumped bullets into Ombale.
Ombale's HeroicsAjmal Qasab was caught alive because of ASI Tukaram Ombale's heroics.
When Ombale was informed that terrorists Qasab and Abu Ismail had fled in a Skoda towards Marine Drive, he chased the car on his motorcycle. He overtook the car and caught hold of Qasab's u00a0AK-47.
Qasab pulled the trigger of the gun, whose barrel was pointed towards Ombale.The cop took the bullets, held on to the gun till his last breath and ensured Qasab was arrested.
