Hemant Karkare (1954-2008)

‘Every time we had to make a presentation before the Pay Commission, he would be called upon. He was a classic orator.’

Smita Nair

Additional commissioner of police, ATS, Sukhwinder Singh recalls asking Hemant Karkare, on their way back from a press conference on the Malegaon blast investigation, how he kept his temper under control in the face of allegations hurled by the press on national networks. “I have become sober after working with him for five months,” says Singh, “He never lost his cool. I never saw him angry.”

Today, the entire force, from the IPS to the constabulary, recalls the man who stood for them and always “led from the front”, as Singh puts it. Something that Karkare did that fateful night too, when terror struck Mumbai. Officer Dinesh Aggarwal, who called him immediately after the ATS controls got the alert, cannot forget the last call: “I immediately called him to update him, and told him that I was leaving for the spot with arms, to which he replied, ‘Aggarwal, I am at the spot.’ ”

While the family hasn’t yet emerged from the shock, close colleague Parambir Singh, additional commissioner of police, ATS, still can’t believe that the man who always called him on the office phone in the morning and simply said “Haan, main bol raha hoon (yes, it’s me),” is no more. Parambir was at the Oberoi when he heard firing coming from the direction of Vidhan Bhavan. He rushed to find a bleeding constable who told him that three officers, including Karkare, had been shot.

... contd.