I am angry with the system: Kavita Karkare

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Kavita Karkare, the wife of the slain Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, was in Delhi to meet Congress party President Sonia Gandhi regarding the issues involving the investigation into the events of 26/11 that led to her husband's death. The brave cop's wife spoke to CNN-IBN about her quest for truth.

Rajdeep Sardesai: Kavita ji, a year ago when 26/11 happened you were angry . A year later, are you still angry; do you still feel the anger?

Kavita Karkare: Yes, sometimes I really feel angry with the system. There are also many other reasons.

Rajdeep Sardesai: What is the main reason? Why do you feel angry? Is it only about this controversy related to Hemant Karkare ji's missing bullet proof jacket or is that there is something else that is making you angry?

Kavita Karkare: It's not only the missing bullet proof jacket but I have read it in the newspaper that Additional Commissioner of Crime said that this is not my responsibility to keep the jacket (safe), it is the responsibility of the local police. The local police will say that this is the duty of DCP on-charge and again the DCP on-charge will say it is the responsibility of the hospital authorities and hospital authorities will say this is not our duty. So particularly this type of attitude makes me feel angry.

Rajdeep Sardesai: You're saying that they are passing the buck. No one is taking the responsibility for it. But the post-mortem report suggests that tragically Hemant Karkare ji would have died perhaps even if he had worn the bullet proof jacket properly or even if it was a proper bullet-proof jacket. Because the bullets went through his neck and other parts as well. To that extent?

Kavita Karkare: One thing I want to ask is that why it is not closed from the neck? The neck area is completely open and it is completely like a small frock. We used to put small frocks on our children and send them to play. These are like those frocks.

Rajdeep Sardesai: Bullet proof jackets are really of no use, the qualities used and the way they are designed are of no use. In that sense do you feel that the time has come for that inquiry report of 26/11, the Ram Pradhan Committee report must be made public, so that people must know what happened actually?

Kavita Karkare: Definitely. All the victims are craving for that report to know what is written at that report. Because when these three people went ahead everyone were crticising these three brave heroes. They have taken very hasty decision but they were in Cama Lane for 40 minutes and common people didn't know about this.

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Rajdeep Sardesai: So you feel whatever happened on 26/11 and after that must be made public. That would give you some sense of satisfaction and then you would feel that may be some justice has been done.

Kavita Karkare: Yes. Those who did not do proper duty on that particular day something should be happen to them.

Rajdeep Sardesai: Those police officers who did not perform their duties- action should be taken against them?

Kavita Karkare: Yes.

Rajdeep Sardesai: This week you meet Sonia Gandhi. Did she give you any kind of assurance? Did you raise this issue with her? What did she say?

Kavita Karkare: No, I didn't raise the issue and what ever issue I put in front of her, I believe she will resolve it.

Rajdeep Sardesai: You think she understood the pain and what you are going through?

Kavita Karkare: Yes, because she has been through a similar pain and grief.

Rajdeep Sardesai: Are you going to continue to push through on the issue with the government of Maharashtra to make the report public?

Kavita Karkare: Yes, I am going to continue this fight because it will be helpful for the people.

Rajdeep Sardesai: Ma'am, when you go to the Maharashtra government ask to see the report tabled, what did they say?

Kavita Karkare: No, as yet I have not gone to them. But I am considering that all the victims' families should go to them and ask for that. I have a feeling that the government will listen to us.

Rajdeep Sardesai: Ma'am, just a day before Hemant Karkare ji fell to the terrorists' bullets, I had spoken to him. This was about the Malegaon incident and he sounded very disturbed on the phone. Do you believe that he was disturbed and upset by the kind of criticism he had to face for handling the Malegaon investigations?

Kavita Karkare: One thing is that if he was tensed up, he never passed on the feeling to me. He cared a lot for me and so never let me know of his work pressures. I learnt of it from journalists and friends.

Rajdeep Sardesai: How would you like your husband to be remembered? We all know him as a brave police officer. What do you really think Hemant Karkare was really about?

Kavita Karkare: He was a man with a broad (minded) attitude and had great sense of social commitment as well as patriotism. Those were his first priorities and add to that the fact that he was very disciplined in his approach.

Rajdeep Sardesai: You are a God-fearing woman. Do you, at the end of the day feel that this was God's will or do you feel that this tragedy could have been avoided, had there been better systems in place?

Kavita Karkare: Yes, definitely. From day one I have been saying that this tragedy was avoidable, if only we had better weapons and good bulletproof jackets; had the staff been properly trained and if there had been proper co-ordination between the Intelligence Bureau, the Coastal Security, the Central Government and state governments. We cannot just point fingers at the police department.

Rajdeep Sardesai: On November 26 this year, there will be a number of functions where the heroes of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks will be remembered and candles will be lit in their names. Will that make you feel better or will you actually feel better only when you get that report of what really happened on 26/11?

Kavita Karkare: I will feel relieved only when I really get that report. The system should be revamped. The candles and all else is superficial stuff for me.

Rajdeep Sardesai: A true way to remember Hemant Karkare as a brave police officer would be to completely provide to the nation that led to his death, right?

Kavita Karkare: Yes.

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