Short of ammunition and manpower, ACP (Central) Sadanand Date tried to conserve as many bullets as he could as he engaged terrorists Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail Khan for nearly 40 minutes in a gunbattle at Cama & Albless Hospital.

Date, 42, who had entered the hospital with seven men on 26/11, was seriously injured and later awarded for gallantry. Accompanied at one stage by only one officer, who too later died, Date fired 22 rounds, some from the firearms of slain colleagues.

“I fired only when the terrorists did. Anyone who understands such a challenging situation knows that ammunition is your lifeline and you cannot waste it in burst firing,” Date told the special court.

He said the terrorists had greeted his team by lobbing two successive hand grenades. “After the first hand grenade blast I realised that it was a terror attack,” he told the court.

Date described how he came to reach Cama Hospital. Armed with an SLR from the Malabar Hill police station, he had initially gone to Breach Candy Hospital after hearing reports of an attack there. When he realised it was a rumour, he drove towards Metro Hospital where other policemen told him of shots near GT Hospital. He drove there and heard shots from the direction of Cama Hospital. He and the seven others then walked into the hospital, he said.

The guard informed them that the attackers were on the fifth floor. “I briefed my men and left one constable, armed with an SLR, on guard near the main gate.” The rest of the team went by lift to the sixth floor, accompanied by hospital employee Kailash Bhegadmal.

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