GOVERNMENT OF MAHARASHTRA

Chief Secretary's Office,Mantralaya,Mumbai - 400 0032Date: 13

December 2008.ToMs. Malini BhuptaSenior Editor,India Today53, Jolly Maker Chambers II,Nariman PointMumbai. .. Fax No.2287 51 57Madam,In the article entitled “Lessons from Mumbai” in your issue of 15

December 2008, the following statement was made :“In theory, the crisis management group headed by the chief secretary and itsmembers should have met within the hour. In Mumbai, the chief secretary was athome, the crisis room was manned by the DGP …..” . In this context, I wish toclarify as under :On

26th November 2008

, the date on which the city of Mumbai sufferedterrorist attacks, I reached my Mantralaya Office, sometime around

9.45 p.m.

within half an hour of the first reported terrorist firing in Colaba area, andmobilised the Crisis Management Team by calling Secretaries concerned. Infact, some of the Secretaries already reached Mantralaya on their own on gettinginformation of the attacks from electronic media.When the Police Commissioner informed that it was an attack bygroups of terrorists, firing with sophisticated weapons and bomb attacks and that,it was necessary to get the services of Army and other Commandos to rescuethe trapped people from various places, I immediately got in touch, (between10.30 and 11.00 p.m.) with Maj.General Hooda of the Army and Admiral Cheemaof Navy stationed in Mumbai who responded immediately and without anyhesitation despatched Army Columns and Naval Commandos to the spotsindicated by us. Simultaneously I contacted the Union Cabinet Secretary at Delhiwho immediately authorised despatch of 200 National Security GuardCommandos.…2