Page 7 - BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY: An Ebook on the Heroes who braved the Attack on CST on 26-11-2008

Bablu Kumar Deepak was working as announcer at CST station (Main Line), on the night of the 26/11
terror attack. Indrayani Express from Pune, had just come, when all hell broke loose.

Bablu heard the blast of a grenade and firing from an automatic gun for more than three minutes. There

was smoke everywhere and he could hear the screams of the dying and injured. From his elevated glass
front booth, what he saw made him shiver with fear. Despite seeing death all around, the thought of the

unsuspecting passengers, falling prey, stuck him, & from his booth he repeatedly announced that all
passengers should exit the station from the other end as there was a gunfight on the main platform.

Bablu, also, dutifully called the central control room & also informed Vishnu Zende, who was the

announcer for Suburban side of CST about the attacks & the firing.

Vishnu Dattaram Zende, too, already alarmed by the explosion & pandemonium, kept his calm &

seeing that a local had just arrived, repeatedly announced that all passengers should exit from the other

side exit of CST. The terrorists, irked by the persistent announcements, even fired on the elevated glass
cubicle, shattering the glass. His repeated requests, both in Hindi & Marathi, his tone of urgency,
resulted in the suburban platforms getting deserted & saving the lives of hundreds of innocent

passengers.

The two Railwaymen, in complete disregard to their personal safety, in the face of death,

saved hundreds of lives, by going well beyond their Call of Duty….