Bagwan told The Indian Express that he was given a number, 9819464530, and told to talk to the terrorist there. "I tried the number and for the first half hour it was engaged. Later the phone started ringing but it was never picked up," he said. Bagwan tried the number for a hour and a half with no luck. The building was stormed the next day by NSG commandos and the two terrorists killed but the six hostages had also been eliminated by then.

Yet another opportunity apparently came again on the morning of November 27 from the Trident-Oberoi hotels which were being held by Abdul Rehman Chhota and Fahadullah. The two are believed to have called a Hindi news channel and discussed their demands on air but no attempt was made by security agencies to pursue that call even though doubts were subsequently raised about its authenticity.

The NSG also felt the need for men who could communicate with the terrorists when they were within the earshot of its commandos during encounters in the Taj and The Oberoi. As then NSG chief J K Dutt told The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta during an interview for NDTV's Walk The Talk programme, on two or three occasions the commandos told the terrorists that they had no chance of getting out of the place alive and that they better surrender, so at least their lives would be saved.

But the terrorists would reply with a string of abuses and start shooting. Not trained to handle such a response, the NSG obviously saw no reason in trying to engage them in a negotiation.

... contd.