Shashank Shinde Police Inspector, C.S.T. Railway Police Station | Mumbai 26/11

Hardworking and sincere, that’s how most people, including former Deputy Commissioner of Police (Government Railway Police) Ramrao Pawar, describe Railway Police Inspector Shashank Shinde who lost his life during a scuffle with two terrorists inside Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), where he was posted.

An officer of the 1987 batch, Shinde had worked with the Crime Branch for a few years. He was also with the Protection Department and the Traffic Police Department before being transferred to the GRP. His assistant, Pradeep, says, “He was a very helpful and dashing officer who would never hesitate to rush in for any kind of operation.” Asked about Shinde’s personal likings, he said with an obvious hint of fondness, “He used to like listening to old songs. I don’t know much about him as a person.”

ACP (GRP) Bapu Thomre informed that Shinde’s duty hours during the night had been reduced recently. “As two officers were not needed for the night shift, Shinde was told to go home and rest. Even as he was getting ready to leave, the sound of bullets was heard in the station.” According to the other police officials, Shinde, who always carried a revolver, rushed towards the spot from where the shots were being fired.

When the firing started, he pulled out his service revolver and fired two bullets. During the course of the fight, he was shot in the abdomen and dropped at the spot. “Though Shinde was an efficient policeman, a service revolver could not have been any match for two men armed with AK-47s. However, whatever Shinde did was very brave. He just rushed out, armed with only a service revolver to combat the threat,” said Thomre.

At the funeral, one of his neighbours said, “The minute we heard that there was some disturbance at CST, we knew that Shashank would be leading from the front. That was his nature anyways. However, we did not expect to hear the news of his demise. Everyone is numb with shock.”

Shinde is survived by his wife, Mansi, an LIC employee and two daughters- Nivedita, a 2nd year engineering student, and Aditi, an SSC student. Speaking in hushed tones about her husband at their residence in Atop Hill, Mansi said, “Last night, two police officials came to our house at Antop Hill and informed us about the incident. We were escorted to the hospital where his body was kept.”