He’s resting – for a while!
More than a week after the lone surviving terrorist of 26/11, Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, was hanged to death, we met this intelligent and most trusted police officer of the Mumbai Police at his office in the Detection Branch at the Police Headquarters near Crawford Market. He confesses to us that he is now relieved that the case has been closed with the hanging of the terrorist. “I sleep better nowadays than I used to when Kasab was alive. But now the Kasab chapter is closed and I can concentrate on my other assignments peacefully,” says Mahale. His ‘other assignments’ include the Azad Maidan riots case, the matka king Suresh Bhagat case and the Mantralaya fire case, among others.
Born in a family running two hotels since decades, Mahale chose to stay away from the family business and completed his Bachelors of Arts (LLB) from New College in Matunga in 1982. Before landing his job as Senior PI of Unit – I of the Crime Branch, like other entrants to the field, he worked with several other departments of the Mumbai police – N.M. Joshi Marg, Yellow Gate, Dadar, Main Control Room, Sahar, Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), Detection branch and others.
In 2001, Mahale was awarded the DG Insignia award and then a Presidential Medal in 2011.
On November 28, 2008, Rakesh Maria, the then Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) and now the Chief of the Anti-terrorist Squad (ATS), appointed him the investigating officer of the historic 26/11 case, immediately after the attacks.
Mahale has been in the police force for almost 25 years, but nothing in his career matched his assignment as Chief Investigator of the 26/11 attacks case. No one in Mumbai was better informed about the micro and macro details of the case than this man and his core team.
When he met us, the 55-year-old investigating officer was in civvies, but even then it was formal shirt and trousers. As he spoke to us about the highs and lows of his life, he kept flipping through a diary outlining his next day’s work. It is the same office where one of the first photographs of Kasab sitting on a chair, which did the rounds in those days, was taken at this place.
“I was very well aware that the entire country and indeed many agencies around the world were watching the proceedings of 26/11 and were waiting for the Indian justice system to deliver. There were in all 12 investigating officers in this case and I headed them in all aspects of the case. I used to work for almost 21 hours a day, getting up by 5.30 am and rushing to work and returning only by 2.30am. I don’t remember if I even ate properly as all the investigating officers, including me, were busy collecting as much evidence against Kasab and the other terrorists who were killed as we could,” Mahale told us.
Doesn’t he ever regret getting into such a high stress occupation when there was already a family business for him to walk into? The youngest of four siblings, the officer shook his head. “My brothers are completely into the hotel business and all of them are happily settled. My grandfather started this business thinking that his children can take it forward. However, I was never inclined to join in as I wanted to do something different and then I joined the police force. And yes, let me tell you I don’t regret my decision.”
What was the first thing that went into his mind when Kasab was caught alive and top police officers like Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamte and others were killed, we asked him. “I was deeply shocked to know that our senior officers were killed in this attack. But at least we had Kasab and we knew he would be able to provide us the information we wanted. He told us about his handlers. But he first claimed that he did not know anything about the people who may have provided information to his handlers.
As soon as the attacks occurred, the police formed 12 teams of 98 officials for the 12 sites that the terrorists attacked. All the teams collected evidence, created witness lists and reconstructed the incidents. All of them reported to me”.
Those qwere both tiring and heady times, the way Mahale tells it. “As soon as I took up the attack at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, I found that the most important evidence in the case was the video footage recorded by the CCTVs. We examined every inch of the footage minutely. My first impression of Kasab was that he was a chalu aadmi and had a trained mind. Don’t think he was naive. He was intelligent and trained to commit terror. He kept changing his tune. Remember, a man who comes prepared to die can say and do anything, commit any crime.”
While covering the terror attacks trial in 2009, we were witnesses when Mahale’s team was appreciated by then Special Judge M. L. Tahaliyani, for the efforts taken in collection of the evidence. It will be recalled that Supreme Court Justice Aftab Alam, while hearing the 26/11 case, had mistakenly assumed that the paperwork in the case was done by CBI. Only later was the court was informed that the DCB-CID (Detection Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department) of Mumbai has compiled it. This was a big achievement for Mumbai Crime Branch. “Yes, it was indeed a great achievement for our team to be appreciated by the apex court,” he says.
Mahale is a devout ‘Ganesh-bhakt’ – the favourite among his pictures of the GSB Sabha Ganesha hangs on the wall facing him. “I am very much devoted to Lord Ganesh and spirituality gives me the courage and ability to face any challenges in my personal and professional life,” said Mahale.
But he accords all the credit for his achievements to his superiors – ATS Chief Rakesh Maria and Deven Bharati, Special IG (law and order) for the guidance during the 26/11 investigations. “On the personal front as well, my involvement with the case took its toll, but my wife Smita and son Sameer were very cooperative and supportive. Going early, coming late, hardly seeing them for days, being unable to communicate, they never complained, just let me get on with my work,” Mahale tells us.
Is Mahale’s son following his father’s footsteps? “No, I have left him to do whatever he likes. Sameer completed his M.A. in Psychology and is now doing a two-year course in Defence Studies from Pune University.”
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