26/11 brave Tukaram Omble's brother seeks death penalty for Tahawwur Rana

Eknath Omble welcomed the move of Tahawwur Rana's extradition to India and called it a 'big day'

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Tahawwur Rana, accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has landed in Delhi following his extradition from the US. Among the many who welcomed the move was Eknath Omble, brother of late Assistant Sub-Inspector Tukaram Omble, who died in the line of duty during the 26/11 terror attack.

 

Calling it a "big day," Eknath Omble urged the Centre to hang Tahawwur Rana. "Many innocent people and policemen were killed. It was a painful night. Tahawwur Rana was the closest ally of David Headley, who was the mastermind of the attack - they all should have been hanged earlier... But it's a big day for the country. I have a request from the government that he (Tahawwur Rana) should be hanged as soon as possible," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

 

Eknath said that those sitting in Pakistan and facilitating these acts should be compelled to think twice before committing such an act again. He also said that the delay in punishment in Ajmal Kasab's case was only tolerated because it revealed Pakistan's true face to the world.

 

Who was Tukaram Omble?

 

Tukaram Omble was an assistant sub-inspector in the Mumbai police who played a crucial role in capturing terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab. On November 26, 2008, Tukaram Omble held on to Kasab's rifle while he continued shooting at him. Armed with only a baton, he faced Kasab head-on and helped the police personnel to capture him. He was awarded the Ashok Chakra award posthumously for his bravery.

 

2008 Mumbai terror attacks

 

On November 26, 2008, India's financial capital was taken down by a group of 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, who entered Mumbai via the Arabian Sea. These 10 operatives launched a series of coordinated attacks at some of the prominent locations in Mumbai, including the CST bus stand and the Taj Mahal Palace hotel. The nearly 60-hour attack on India's financial capital resulted in the death of 166 people.

 

Tahawwur Rana extradition

 

A Pakistani-Canadian businessman and a former military doctor, Rana's extradition to India was long-awaited. He is also known for his ties with David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani, a Pakistani-American terrorist, one of the key conspirators in the Mumbai terror attack. Rana played a key role in assisting Headley's reconnaissance mission in India and helped him to obtain Indian visa.