26/11 Bomb found!

The government said they had misplaced the 2002-2003 report and no action could be taken till an enquiry was launched. Till date, the report continues to be missing, officially.

The fact is, the report not only exists, MiD DAY sourced a copy of the report yesterday. The importance of this report lies in the fact that it is the only written record that states the bulletproof jackets were defective.
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And sources say, the admission by the government and a redesign of the jackets is crucial in getting justice for Karkare's widow, Kavita, who went on record to say that the defective jacket in fact, killed her husband, which was seconded by police sources.

History Of The Reports

The first report on the safety of the jackets had been filed by a government-based lab in Chandigarh before 2000.

However, the report was found to be unclear on several points, according to a police source and another report was filed in 2002-2003 by a private lab and submitted in the same year.

This report slammed the government and clearly mentioned that all the jackets were of inferior quality and completely worthless to the point that it could not even withstand the fire of a 9 mm pistol.

We told you first... Just five days after 26/11, MiD DAY broke the story on how our bravehearts had to face terrorists AK-47s wearing bulletproof vests that had been rejected in 2004

In 2004, samples of these vests were sent for a trial at the firing range of the State Reserve Police Force.

They were fitted on dummies, [as is the practice] and sprayed with AK-47 bullets and bullets from self-loading rifles (SLR).

Every single bullet went through the jackets even though the rounds were fired from a distance. Yet, no formal report was filed.

Two Witnesses at Nariman House Depose

Two witnesses who had seen the devastation caused by terrorists at Nariman House in Colaba deposed before the special court on September 18.u00a0

A resident, Shripad Hate, told special prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam that he had surveyed the entire building after the attack. He said that the entire building was a wreck after the incident.

Hate was also present when the police drew a panchnama of a petrol pump premises that was attacked by the terrorists.

VEST OF MONEY: The missing document, which was part of the report, said that all the jackets had been tested and found to be defective and substandard and needed to be replaced or modified

Police Inspector Sirish Desai, who drew the same panchnama, also deposed before judge M L Tahaliyani. During cross-examination by advocate Abbas Kazmi, Desai said that no deformed bullets were found at the spot.

However, Kazmi contradicted the statement, saying that Desai had mentioned in the panchnama about finding 18 deformed bullets on the u00a0fourth floor.

The Minister Says
Naseem Khan, Minister of State for Home (Urban)

Yes, the question regarding the bulletproof jackets being of inferior quality was raised in the assembly. The answer to that question was that the reports were missing.

They were the same reports that were submitted by a laboratory, but now they are said to be missing. An inquiry is on.

Facts of the Matter

The Missing Report Says...

>> The steel inserts in the bulletproof jackets have shown full resistance to .9 mm semi automatic pistol bullet. However, the pad at the back will wedge into the muscles and cause greater damage than a bullet and the resultant injuries can be fatal, far more than bullet wounds.

>> When the testing distance was reduced to 5 metres from the muzzle the dummy was fractured and shots went through the armour pad into the body.

AK 47 and AK 56

>> Absolutely no resistance to 5.56 mm bullets of AK 47 and 7.62 mm bullets of AK 56 as well as 7.46 mm rifle bullets.

>> The bullets passed pierced through the bulletproof dummy and exited from the dummy's back.

The Report Suggested...

>> The use of a metal plate of certain thickness [not specified in report] to resist the penetration of the bullet in the body.

>> According to this report, the bulletproof inner vests were tested against semi automatic pistol of 9 mm caliber and against 5.56 mm bullets of AK 47 and 7.62 mm bullets of AK 56 rifles.

>> The report also contains the 2000 report, details of the purchase bulletproof jackets, who filed the tenders, where they were purchased etc..

Kavita Karkare
Widow of ATS chief Hemant Karkare

On July 30, at a public gathering you said Hemant Karkare's bulletproof jacket had gone missing.
I don't want to comment again. I have lost faith in the system. When a file can go missing, what else can we expect from the system.

Would anything have been different if action was taken on the report?
My husband would have been alive if he had worn a jacket that provided complete protection.

Your expectations from the system?
I have a very bad u00a0experience. I don't have any expectations.

Vinita Kamte
widow of Ashok Kamte, additional commissioner of police

Are you aware of the lab reports of the bulletproof jackets?
Yes, I am aware of the reports and also that they are missing. I feel the system will not change. I tried to fight the system, but I couldn't.

How?
I had filed an RTI for on my husband's postmortem report. I got it after two months and there is still no clarity.

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