Mumbai:
The Pakistani terrorists who attacked Mumbai were cornered by National Security Guard commandos, and offered a chance to surrender.
J K Dutt, who was the chief of the National Security Guard, during 26/11, told NDTV's Barkha Dutt that the commandos handling the Taj and the Trident Hotels told the terrorists that they would get a fair trial, but, "the terrorists refused and replied with bullets."
Watch that interview with Barkha Dutt here.
Transcript of the interview:Barkha Dutt: At any point was there any conversation, any dialogue that took place between the commandos and the terrorists? There were all kinds of rumours about it at the time? I had spoken to a diplomat here from one of the countries who had come to check on what was happening to the citizens of his country...he told me that he had heard that there were some kind of talks? 'Talks going on between the commandos and terrorists'...that was what he said? Was there any exchange?
JK Dutt: What happened was....at one point we found that the terrorists were very badly cornered...my instructions were that the objective as far as possible was to take the terrorists alive...dead terrorists were no use. We could get so much information from them about the funding, about the set up, their training, operators and things like that. So when we found that we had these people cornered, we did make them an offer that look why don't you surrender.
Barkha Dutt: You did make an offer?
JK Dutt: We did...we said look surrender, you have no chance of escaping from here and you give yourself up and we will from our side ensure that you are tried under the due process of law.
Barkha Dutt: Was this at the Oberoi or the Taj?
JK Dutt: I think it happened at Oberoi and also at ther Taj.
Barkha Dutt: How did you communicate this to them?
JK Dutt: Directly inside the hall voices resound and this was what was said.
Barkha Dutt: Was there any offer made?
JK Dutt: Offer of?
Barkha Dutt: Was there any negotiation?
JK Dutt: No it was not a negotiation...I think my office remembered the objective that was laid...but the reply was a string of abuses.
Barkha Dutt: In what language?
JK Dutt: I didn't ask...I suppose it was in Punjabi and other than that there was shooting and hurling of grenades.