Behind brave faces: One took 8 bullets, another lost an eye

Jodha didn’t count how many bullets were fired at his body before the last one went through his bullet-proof jacket and nearly pierced his abdomen. So it was only when he was admitted to Bombay Hospital that the young man found out he had eight gunshot wounds and serious injuries from grenade blasts.

Recuperating in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), he says, “Just like any other day, we reported to work at 11 pm last Wednesday in Delhi. Within an hour we got instructions to head to Taj Mahal hotel and by 3 am we left for the operation,” says Jodha, who hails from Alwar, Rajasthan.

His brother-in-law Umendra Singh says Jodha called his wife before flying to Mumbai. “This could be my last call, I may not come back,” he had said.

Jodha’s team first stormed the new Taj and then entered the old heritage building, where, on the fourth floor’s room number 471, they encountered the terrorists. “All the terrorists were dressed well and were clean shaven. It was very difficult to distinguish them from civilians,” recalls Jodha. “Before any communication, one started shooting. We heard the firing and fired back. The terrorists continuously fired shots. Major Sandeep was killed in the firing.”

Recuperating in the same ICU is Captain A K Singh, commissioned in 22 Fd Regiment on December 2003. He was badly wounded in his left eye during the operation at the Trident/Oberoi.

“A splinter entered his eye damaging the pupil and the retina. His left eye is completely damaged and surgeons had to perform enucleation (complete removal of the eye),” said Dr Ashish Tiwari, spokesperson for the hospital.

“We made him a commando with great difficulty,” says Amravati, Singh’s worried mother. “His father was a constable at the NSG headquarters till retirement. He volunteered for NSG and was permanently deputed there two years ago. He is the only breadwinner for the family.”

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