Before he died a hero, his final act of courage leading to the arrest of gunman Ajmal Kasab on 26/11, Assistant Sub-Inspector Tukaram Omble, who donned his khaki uniform everyday for 31 years, had been absolutely certain that none of his four daughters would enter the strenuous, often murky world of policing.

But less than a year since his death, the youngest Omble girl, 20-year-old Bharti, has decided to follow in her father’s footsteps — an emotional decision the family took to ensure that the braveheart’s legacy survives. Bharti, the “baby” of the family and doted most by her father, joined the Mumbai Police’s traffic department five months ago.

Bharti, who is also pursuing an M.Com degree, is working as a junior clerk in the Traffic Police headquarters, Worli, a job the Mumbai Police offered on compassionate grounds to kin of policemen who died on 26/11.

Omble’s eldest daughter Vaishali, 24, plans to take up teaching once she completes her B Ed this year. Bharti was the only one who could take the job. Emotions apart, there was another compelling reason: Room Number 15, Building 7, Worli Police Camp. Joining the Mumbai Police would mean the tiny residential quarters will now be under Bharti’s name.

“We have stayed in this house all these years. There are many memories that linger here and since he is no more, there are all the more reasons for us not to leave this place,” says Tara, Omble’s widow. The family has been staying in the 350-sq feet flat for 20 years and prefers not to move into the more spacious house at Sion they received as part of the compensation package. Had Bharti not taken the police job, the family would have had to vacate the home within three years.

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