A father remembers

Though I was his father, what I taught him is only a fraction of what I learnt from him,” remarked K. Unnikrishnan, father of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who died while fighting terrorists during the infamous 26/11 siege of Mumbai in 2008. Sandeep was the only son of Unnikrishnan, a retired ISRO officer, and Dhanalakshmi Unnikrishnan, who currently reside in Bengaluru.

That was one of the worst terror attacks the country had witnessed and its commercial capital remained under siege for nearly four days. The attacks were carried out by 10 gunmen who were believed to have links with the Pakistanbased terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Armed with automatic weapons and hand grenades, the terrorists landed on the Mumbai coast on November 26 and targeted civilians at numerous crowded places, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station, the popular Leopold Café, two hospitals, and a theatre. While most of the attacks ended within a few hours on November 26, the terrorists had taken hostage at three locations — the Nariman House, where a Jewish outreach centre was located, and the luxury hotels Oberoi Trident and Taj Mahal Palace & Tower.

The commandos from at National Security Guards were flown into the city to flush out the terrorists from these three locations. The standoff at the Nariman House ended on the evening of November 28, while the siege of Oberoi Trident ended on November 28 midday and November 29 morning respectively. Nine of the 10 terrorists were killed, and one, Ajmal Kasab, was arrested.

Major Unnikrishnan, who was then undergoing deputation at the 51 Special Action Group of the National Security Guards, flew into Mumbai along with his men on the night of November 26. The next day he led a group of 10 commandos to clear the terrorists at the Taj Hotel.

He died during a firefight on the night of November 27, but managed to corner all the four terrorists at the hotel. The NSG commandos later eliminated terrorists trapped in the Ballroom and Wasabi restaurant of the Taj Hotel.

Recalling that fateful night at a radio interview, Unnikrishnan had said, “We were not aware that he had joined the operation and only after he attained martyrdom did we come to know.”

“Quite often people ask why he went alone. But then he was the NSG training officer and right from his childhood days he never shirked responsibility.” According to his fellow NSG commandos, his last words were, “Do not come up, I will handle them.”

Recalling Sandeep’s days at the city’s Frank Anthony Public School, Unnikrishnan said he used to take part in all events and often used to display leadership qualities. He was interested in sports and used to believe that physical fitness was crucial for all-round growth of one’s personality. But he was also very curious about knowing things and used to read a lot to gain awareness.

After 10th standard he started taking part more in extra-curricular activities. While doing plus-two he showed an inclination to join the armed forces and decided to appear for the National Defence Academy examination.

Recalling the investiture ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan after Sandeep was presented the Ashok Chakra posthumously, Unnikrishnan said at that time I got to know how popular he had become. When Dhanalakshmi went to collect the medal, the whole hall gave a standing ovation.

The family hails from Cheruvannur in Kozhikode district in Kerala.

-As told to NT

VINDICATED

"First, Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani national, whose place of residence and initial schooling as well as his joining a banned militant organisation was established by the investigators. Second, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were imparted training near Thatta, Sindh and launched by sea from there. The training camp was identified and secured by the investigators. The casings of the explosive devices used in Mumbai were recovered from this training camp and duly matched. Third, the fishing trawler used by the terrorists for hijacking an Indian trawler in which they sailed to Mumbai, was brought back to harbour, then painted and concealed. It was recovered by the investigators and connected to the accused. Fourth, the engine of the dinghy abandoned by the terrorists near Mumbai harbour contained a patent number through which the investigators traced its import from Japan to Lahore and then to a Karachi sports shop from where an LeT-linked militant purchased it along with the dinghy. The money trail was followed and linked to the accused who was arrested. Fifth, the ops room in Karachi, from where the operation was directed, was also identified and secured by the investigators. The communications through Voice over Internet Protocol were unearthed. Sixth, the alleged comman