It will be the 65th birth anniversary of Hemant Karkare, the chief of Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), on December 12. The decorated police officer is popularly known for his exemplary valour and role in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and 2008 Malegaon blasts. Considered to be the ‘brave-heart’ and ‘daredevil’ cop of India, Hemant Karkare had several feathers in his cap before he breathed his last in the fateful 2008 Mumbai attacks. The death didn’t come easy either for Karkare, as there were, and are still, many conspiracy theories floating around about the nature of his demise. As nation gears up to salute the brave soul on his 65th birth anniversary this Wednesday, we at LatestLY tell all you need to know about Hemant Karkare below. 26/11 Mumbai Attacks: Remembering Heroes Who Made Supreme Sacrifice of Their Lives While Fighting Pakistani Terrorists When Mumbai Was Under Siege.

Who was Hemant Karkare?

Hemant Karkare was born on December 12, 1954, in Nagpur, Madhya Pradesh (present-day Maharashtra). After working with Hindustan Lever Ltd (now Hindustan Unilever Ltd) in his early days, Karkare joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) as a member of 1982 batch.

Karkare is also said to have worked with India’s intelligence agency, i.e. Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), for 7 years, being commissioned in Austria. Before he donned the role of being the chief of Mumbai ATS, Karkare was serving as the Joint Commissioner of Police (Administration) of Mumbai Police. 26/11 Mumbai Attacks: Recounting 60 Hours of Terror Which Shook India's Soul.

What are the highlights of Hemant Karkare’s illustrious career?

One of the many cases that he investigated in his career, Karkare’s role in investigating in Malegaon bomb blasts 2008 came under a lot of scrutinies. After 3 bombs rocked Modasa (in Gujarat), and Malegaon (in Maharashtra) in 2008 killing 8 and injuring over 80 people, the then ATS Chief Hemant Karkare led the investigation into these dastardly bomb blasts.

Karkare arrested 11 suspects (all belonging to Hindu community) which included prominent names of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, serving Army officer Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit, Swami Dayanand Pandey among others. Karkare was criticised for buckling under pressure under the then government of Maharashtra led by Congress. On the other hand, he was applauded too for his efforts to take on the Indian right.

How did Hemant Karkare die?

Hemant Karkare sacrificed his life while combating the terrorists in 26/11 Mumbai Attacks that saw over 160 people being killed and more than 600 people were injured.

On November 26, 2008, Hemant Karkare received a call about a terrorist attack at Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) station. Reaching the spot, he donned a bulletproof jacket and a helmet and rushed to platform no. 1. He was then told that the terrorists had moved to Cama Hospital, next to Azad Maidan Police Station.

The terrorists were later spotted, and in the firing that ensued, it was there where Hemant Karkare and his colleagues – Ashok Kamte, Vijay Salaskar and other constables – lost their lives; it was the only constable Arun Jadhav who survived the open gunfire by terrorists.

What are the controversies around Hemant Karkare’s death?

One of the major suspicions that popped up was that source of the bullet found in his body was absent. There were speculations that he was issued a sub-standard bullet-proof jacket which later turned out to be false. It was also said that the bullets found in his body didn’t match from the ones that terrorists had fired. Another conspiracy theory floating at that time was that Hemant Karkare wasn’t killed by terrorists Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail in the gunfight.

Despite the clouds that cast over the manner of his death, one cannot rob Hemant Karkare’s of his legacy of incomparable valour and bravery. Karkare’s role cracking the Malegaon Blasts or sacrificing his life fighting the terrorists of Mumbai attacks were exemplary. He was a valiant and seasoned policeman who lay down his life for the country. We wish his soul rests in peace and thank him for the valour that saw several lives being saved on the fateful night of 26/11 attacks.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 12, 2019 08:15 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).