It was during a frenzied killing spree, lasting over three hours that two terrorists, Azam Ameer Qasab and Abu Dera Ismael Khan, dealt body blows to the Mumbai Police and struck fear in the hearts of Mumbaikars by gunning down state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare along with two key officers, hijacking their police vehicle and firing indiscriminately from it.

The duo went on a rampage from 9.30 pm on Wednesday by entering Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station and firing shots randomly from their assault rifles at people inside the station and those outside it. After the police arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area, the two terrorists took up positions behind a railway coach and engaged in a gun battle with the police during which they lobbed hand grenades on the advancing team.

After they managed to escape from the station, the duo headed across the street towards Cama Hospital. Simultaneously, Karkare, Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte and encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar arrived on the same lane in ACP (Pydhonie Division) Shantilal Bhambre’s official Toyota Quallis. The two terrorists opened fire on spotting the police vehicle. The duo pulled out the bodies and took the vehicles towards Vidhan Bhavan.

It was here that the vehicle had a flat tyre, forcing the terrorists to abandon it. They approached a white Skoda with two or three men inside. Pointing their assault rifles at them, the terrorists forced them to step out of the car and sped off towards Marine Drive. On reaching Girgaum Chowpatty at 12:30 am on Thursday, they were faced with barricades and a team of policemen from the nearby D B Marg police station. In an exchange of fire, Assistant Sub-Inspector Tukaram Gopal Omble was killed while Khan was shot dead by the police and Qasab held.