A year after 26/11, their wounds are still fresh

By Mohammed Shafeeq, Hyderabad, Nov 26 : A year after 26/11, the wounds of three families of Andhra Pradesh who lost their loved ones in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai are still fresh.

The family of Vijay Rao Banja is yet to overcome the shock. The executive chef at the Taj Hotel was gunned down by terrorists during the siege.

The 48-year-old chef was one of the hotel staff members killed by the terrorists.

Vijay's family here was informed that he was holed up in the hotel with others but was safe. However, the next day the family received shocking news from one of his colleagues that the terrorists shot him dead.

Saroja Rao at her house in Neredmet here recalled that they were shocked to learn on the night of Nov 26 that terrorists had attacked the Taj Hotel.

Vijay's wife Fareeda could not overcome the shock of his death and died of a heart attack a month later, dealing a double blow to the family.

Fareeda, who was working with blind kids in Mumbai, was suffering silently after her husband's death. The couple is survived by their 18-year-old son.

Death was cruel for Laxminarayan Goel, an advocate from Hyderabad who was killed in the blast in a taxi at Ville Parle. Goel, 55, who had missed his train to Hyderabad, was returning to a relative's house in a taxi.

Goel, who had gone to Mumbai on work, rang up his family from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) station to inform them that he had missed the train and was returning to his sister-in-law's house in Kanjayali.

At Ville Parle, the taxi burst into flames, killing Goel, the taxi driver and another passenger. Goel is survived by his wife and four daughters.

The terrorist attack also claimed a newly-wed woman's life. The wounds are still wide open for Noorjahan Begum, who lost her daughter when the terrorists fired at CST station.

Amina Begum, 22, was killed while her father Abdul Rasheed, 55, was injured in the indiscriminate firing by the terrorists.

The family who are from Nizamabad town, about 170 km from here, was about to board a train to Hyderabad after visiting the famous Haji Ali dargah in Mumbai when terrorists struck.

While Amina, who was married only seven months ago, died on the spot, Rasheed sustained three bullet injuries. He was an auto driver but the bullet injuries left him incapacitated.

"He was the only source of livelihood for the family. Now he can't go out of the house and is completely bed-ridden," said Noorjahan.

She is angry that despite all the assurances by the authorities no help has reached the family.