26/11 martyr Kamte's kin want justice

Sister-in-law and NCP politician Vandana Chavan says family wants action against cops who misguided Kamte

The family of Ashok Kamte, the 26/11 police martyr from the city, is still waiting for action to be taken against police officers it says were responsible for the brave officer's death.

Vandana Chavan, Nationalist Congress Party MLC and sister of Kamte's wife Vinita, said it was "really sad and frustrating" that the government was not taking action against those who had misguided Kamte from the police control room on the fateful night of November 26, 2008.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Mumbai East Region) Ashok Kamte was gunned down by Ajmal Qasab and Abu Ismail, two of the 10 terrorists who went about spraying bullets at various places in Mumbai. Last year, Vinita wrote her husband's biography The Last Bullet and the book was released at the Taj Mahal Hotel, one of the targets of the terrorist attacks.

"Vinita has done her duty by writing the book and made her mind free of sorrows and tensions," Chavan said. "I have raised this issue (of how Kamte died). This is now not just a family matter or related only to my sister or brother-in-law. Now it is the duty of socially conscious people and the media to take up the issue."

'Dirty politics'
Chavan said it was high time the government did something against the officers who caused the death of Kamte and other officers.

"I strongly feel that the mistake should not be repeated," she said. "Brave officers like Ashok and innocent people should not die at the hands of terrorists in future because of dirty politics in the police department."
She also demanded action against a "coward police officer" who ran away from the situation on the night of the attack.

"We are really missing Ashok. This day is really painful for everybody," she said.

Chavan, who held a small family gathering at her sister's place, said they had organised a bhajan programme and that a tribute will be paid to Kamte on the anniversary of the attack today.

Vinita's elder son Rahul is now a Std XI student of Kodaikanal International School, where Kamte was also educated.

"We all miss Ashok," Chavan said. "There is not a single day when he is not on our minds."