The ATS asked for bullet-proof vehicles earlier this year, and orders were placed for two vehicles, said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Motor Transport), Prakash Achrekar. The Tata Safari was delivered a month before Karkare was killed, and a Mahindra Scorpio arrived last week, 10 days after the tragedy.

“There was no delay in handing over the vehicle to the ATS. As soon as it came to Mumbai, the paperwork was completed, and on December 6 it was given to the ATS,” Achrekar told The Indian Express. The Scorpio is fitted out with reinforced glass, additional steel plates and a special engine to take the additional load, and costs about Rs 65 lakh.

Karkare preferred his Tata Indigo or Chevrolet Tavera both within the city and on longer trips, said an officer. “Sir never used this (bullet-proof) vehicle, except once when it had just arrived. He just took one ride to see how it was. After that it was never used.”

Today, ATS officers say they are not sure if the bullet-proof Tata Safari would have saved their boss, and Addl Commissioner Ashok Kamte and encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar, from the AK-47 fire of the terrorists at Cama Hospital.

Or whether Karkare had even had the time or opportunity to ask for it that fateful night.

They are among the several other ‘what-ifs’ that will never be answered: What if they had better bullet-proof vests? What if such senior officers had been careful not to expose themselves in the way they did?

The Maharashtra government has 18 bullet-proof Ambassador cars for the use of VVIPs, including the Chief Minister, his deputy and others with Z category security. The two ATS SUVs were the first bullet-proof vehicles for the state police.

“The department is cash-strapped and not many vehicles can be made bullet-proof. Orders are placed after much discussion,” one police source said.

(With inputs from Smita Nair)