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Sadanad Date, a 1990-batch officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS) from the Maharashtra cadre, currently serves as the Director General of the NIA.
Date was among the first responders during the 26/11 attacks and engaged the attackers– Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail–in a direct confrontation.
Tahawwur Rana Extradition: Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who is accused of plotting the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, finally reached New Delhi on Thursday evening.
Rana was brought to India on a special flight from the United States after his attempts to block extradition through the courts failed.
Rana, who is identified as the mastermind of the tragic 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, will now face the law in India, and his interrogation is likely to spill the beans on the role of Pakistani state actors behind the dastardly act that claimed 166 lives in 2008.
With Rana now in Indian custody, the spotlight shifts to senior officer Sadanand Date, director general of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), who will oversee his interrogation. Date personally escorted Rana out of the US on a special plane on Thursday. He was the highest-ranking officer on the flight carrying the terrorist. Date replaced Dinkar Gupta, who retired from duty on March 31 last year, as head of the probe agency.
Coincidently, he was among the first responders during the Mumbai terror attacks, sustaining serious injuries while trying to thwart the terrorists. During the attacks, he faced Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail, head-on.
Who Is Sadanand Date?
Date, a 1990-batch officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS) from the Maharashtra cadre, currently serves as the Director General of the NIA.
Born into a humble household, Date spent his childhood delivering newspapers to make ends meet. His mother worked as a domestic helper, as per the media reports. A bright student, he cleared the UPSC exam and joined the IPS. He went on to specialise in economic and organised crime, earning a doctorate in economic offences from Pune University.
In his decades long career, Date held several positions in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). As Joint Commissioner of Police in Mumbai, Date initiated the setup of a lab to monitor social media content and established a dedicated centre for training officers in the Special Branch of the Mumbai Police, according to reports.
How Date Encountered The 26/11 Attack?
Date was among the first responders during the 26/11 attacks and engaged the attackers– Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail–in a direct confrontation.
At around 9:30 PM on November 26, 2008, when the attacks began, Date was serving as the Additional Commissioner of Police, Central Region. While the attack unfolded outside his jurisdiction, he left his residence in Malabar Hill and headed for the CST railway station. At CST, he learnt the terrorists had moved towards Cama and Albless Hospital, a facility for women and children.
Fearing a possible hostage situation, he rushed to the hospital and discovered the terrorists firing from the rooftop. Date retaliated fire with his carbine, but the terrorists escaped the gunshots. As he prepared to enter the building, Kasab tossed a grenade from the roof. It exploded just three feet away, killing Sub-Inspector Prakash More, who was accompanying him, NDTV reported.
Date and three other officers were injured in the blast. Despite his wounds, he chose to remain on the spot, and urged the other injured officers to leave.
With the remaining personnel, he entered the hospital. From a position near the stairwell, he continued firing at the terrorists, holding them back for nearly 40 minutes. Meanwhile, another grenade exploded close to him. The blast sent shrapnel into his legs and face, causing heavy bleeding. In the chaos, Kasab and Ismail fled. Date suffered injuries to his eyes, throat, chest, right knee, and had deep wounds on his left ankle.
His courage during the attacks earned him the President’s Medal for Gallantry. He also received the President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2007 and the Medal for Distinguished Service in 2014.