It was houseful that night when assistant manager Anup Sheth looked around at the Golden Dragon restaurant in the Taj Mahal Hotel, Colaba. "We had at least 150 patrons," said Sheth, currently based in Pune. Around 9.30 pm, guests heard sounds inside the restaurant. Sheth said, "We thought there is a wedding, and firecrackers must have been set off. But soon, the sounds grew in intensity, and we realised they were gunshots. We then decided to lock the door of the restaurant."

Just as the key turned in the lock, Sheth said he saw an attacker, but not knowing then he was one, walk across. "You would think this is your regular college dude: orange t-shirt, red cap, cargo pants and sports shoes; but he had a gun in his hand. Then, I saw him turn around and fire at the ceiling. I dived behind a pillar; the staff couldn't switch off the lights as the switchboard was close to the door where the firing happened. We told the guests to lie flat on the floor and make as little noise as possible," he added.