Author: Agencies
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: September 11, 2009
URL: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Words-of-26-11-terrorists-still-ringing-in-my-ears-Taj-staff/516029/
A staff of hotel Taj, who was taken hostage
by the terrorists during the 26/11 attacks, on Friday told the court that
he heard one of the attackers telling his companions to throw grenade and
set the hotel on fire.
"'Throw grenades and set the hotel on
fire....', these words uttered by a terrorist on the night of November 26
last during terror attacks at hotel Taj are still ringing in my ears,"
Adil Irani, a steward with the hotel, told the court.
Thirty-one-year-old Adil, who was taken hostage
for about four hours by four suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives, said
the attackers were very abusive and had assaulted some hostages very badly.
Adil said the terrorist was telling his companions
that they must throw hand grenades and torch the hotel at once.
"This frightened me but I kept quiet",
he told Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.
On Thursday, a banker had described in the
court how he was taken hostage and the way he escaped.
The witness told Judge M L Tahaliyani that
a terrorist was talking to somebody on mobile phone and told the person on
the other side "Panch murge pakde hain, ek bada murga hai (we have captured
five people, one of them is a big man)".
"My mobile which terrorists had kept
with them, rang and my wife inquired about me. The terrorist who picked up
the cell phone got furious and told her that 'Operation hatao nahin to Tabahi
macha denge' (stop the Operation or else we would create havoc)," he
said.
JUDGE REPRIMANDS KASAB
Kasab was reprimanded by special Judge M L
Tahaliyani, who is hearing the Mumbai attacks case, after the lone surviving
terrorist of 26/11 was found talking to a co-accused in the dock.
"Kya baat kar rahe ho"? the judge
asked Kasab after Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam made a complaint
that the gunman was talking to Faheem Ansari.
Kasab got up and said "kuch nahin huzur"
(nothing sir).
The Judge remarked "court mein theek
se baitho" (sit properly and maintain the decorum of the court).
Kasab then sat down on the bench and did not
utter a word.
Nikam complained to the court after he saw
Kasab disobeying the police constable who asked him (through gestures) not
to talk to Faheem.
