Karkare, Kamte and Salaskar...was it premeditated?

Karkare, Kamte and Salaskar were some of the finest officers of our security force. Its so unfortunate that all three of them travel in the same car towards the CAMA Hospital and gunned down by the terrorist. Even in their wildest dreams they may not imagined a fate like this. My deepest condolences to their family, I salute you , let your souls rest in peace...


Karkare (54), who was probing the Malegaon blasts case. He was hit by three bullets in his chest.Ashok Kamte had earlier served as the commissioner of Solapur. Kamte was always known to be in the thick of action.

Vijay Salaskar was a nightmare for the criminals, here has more than 80+ encounter killings to his credit.

Witness account on the killing

Karkare, encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar and Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte, who were all travelling in the same vehicle, were shot dead along with three constables by the terrorists.

The top officers were on way to Cama Hospital, just a 10-minute drive from CST station, to check on another injured officer Sadanand Date.

"When we were informed that Sadanand Date has been injured at the firing in Cama Hospital Karkare, Kamte, Salaskar and four constables left from CST to the spot.

"Five minutes later, two persons carrying AK-47 rifles emerged from behind a tree and started firing at out vehicle," said Jadhav, who was hit by two bullets in his right arm and is recuperating in the Bombay Hospital.

Sitting on his bed on the 14th floor of the hospital, Jadhav, who has been in the police service for the past 12 years, said the exact number of shots fired at the police car was not known, but the three top officers and as many constables were killed on the spot. Jadhav was the only person in the vehicle who survived.

"I have been working with Salaskar my entire police career but I could not do anything to save his life," he said with tears rolling down his eyes.

While Salaskar was at the wheel, Kamte was in the front seat and Karkare in the second row with the four Constables, including Jadhav, at the back seat.

"The two terrorists then came up to our vehicle and pulled out Karkare, Kamte and Salaskar's bodies out and threw them on the road. Thinking that we (Constables) are also dead, the terrorists then got into the car and started driving towards Metro junction," Jadhav said.

Pre-meditated?

Looking at the sequence of events , doesnt it look like the events of killing these officers a pre-planned operation. I am not saying all three officerts were their targets, but atleast one of them was their target, the terrorist has the entire information about their movement how their target is going to come, where they can target them etc.,