'Not Terrorist, But RSS Liked-Cop Killed Hemant Karkare': Congress Leader Says Claim Based On Ex-Maharashtra IG's Book

Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar, senior Congress Leader and LoP In Maharashtra Assembly on Sunday claimed that the bullet that killed Hemant Karkare was fired by a police officer loyal to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and not a terrorist. Former Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare was killed during a terror attack in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. He received three bullet injuries in the retaliatory firing by the terrorists that led to his death.

The statement triggered a political row in the state during the Lok Sabha elections. BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde Faction) leaders have hit out at the Congress over its leader's statement. Wadettiwar isued a clarification later and said his statement his based on former Maharashtra IGP SM Mushrif's book that claims Karkare was not not killed by a terrorist

"Hemant Karkare was not killed by terrorists. Police officer SM Mushrif (Shamshuddin Mushrif) has written this in his book. I am not saying this, but Mushrif has published it in his book. The police officer has written in his book that the bullet with which Hemant Karkare was killed was not from terrorists. Why was this not brought before the court by advocate Ujjwal Nikam, who is fighting the case against Kasab," he said. The BJP has fielded Ujjwal Nikam from the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat. 

Wadettiwar accused Nikam of being a "traitor." He said, Ujjwal Nikam had defamed the Congress by accusing it of serving biryani to the 26/11 Mumbai attack terrorist Kasab. Will someone give biryani to Kasab? Nikam later admitted that Kasab was not served biryani. What kind of lawyer or traitor did not testify in court? If the BJP is giving a ticket to a traitor who hid the truth from the court, then the question arises: why is the BJP supporting these traitors?

Wadettiwar, further said that getting Ajmal Kasab hanged was not a big deal and any ordinary lawyer or bailout lawyer could have done it.  Former Maharashtra IGP SM Mushrif had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe into the Hemant Karkare murder case. According to Live Law, the petition said that Hemant Karkare was not killed by Pakistani terrorists Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail, but by those who took advantage and conspired to kill him. The Supreme Court later dismissed the case.

Was Kasab Served Biryani In Jail ?

According to the report by Aaj Tak, Ujjwal Nikam clarified it a few years after saying the biryani thing. "Kasab never demanded biryani, and neither did the government serve him biryani," he told the media on the sidelines of an international conference on counter-terrorism in Jaipur. I fabricated it to prevent an emotional atmosphere being created in favour of Kasab during the trial.’