Excerpts of Terrorists Conversations at Chabad of Mumbai

The following are excerpts written by journalist Ashish Khetan on how handlers in Pakistan directed the terrorists at the Mumbai Chabad House.

November 27, afternoon, Chabad House

Handler: Baat karao. [The handler in Pakistan instructs the Chabad House terrorist to put the hostage on line.]

Terrorist: Haan, bolein (Here, speak).

A woman hostage: Hello Who is that?

Handler: Did you spoke? Did you speak to the consulate?

Hostage: I am talking to the consulate they are doing they are making phone calls just now.

Handler: Already made it or you are going to make it?

Hostage: Yeah [She starts sobbing and then recovers to talk.] I’ve already talked to them. I was talking to the consulate just a few seconds back and they are making their phone calls. They have said to leave the line free so that they can get in touch with you anytime and tell you that we are pleased with you [again starts crying]. You understand?

Handler: Come again, come again. No I don’t understand.

Hostage: They will get in touch with you anytime.

Handler: Don’t worry, just sit back and relax and wait for them to make contact. Okay?

Hostage: [Cries]

Handler: Save your energy for good days. Maybe if they can contact right now maybe you will celebrate Shabbath with your family.

Hostage: [Cries again]

Handler: Give the phone back to the guy. [The terrorist takes the phone back from the hostage.] Handler: Iski baat hui hai. Abhi kissi bhi waqt phone aayega un logo ka. (She has talked to them. Anytime now their phone call will come.)

Terrorist: Mere number par? (On my number?)

Handler: Haan, aapke number par authorities phone karenge. Poochhenge, kya chahte ho aap log? To aapne sabse pehle yeh kehna hai ki yeh jo aasu gas ki shelling ho rahi hai, firing ho rahi hai, yeh silsila band ho. Matlab paanch minute ke andar Army ilaka khali kar de. Matlab yeh silsila agar chalta raha to hum log sabr, intezar nahi karenge. Aap likho in cheezo ko.

Achha, jo operation ho raha hai, Taj Mahal mein, Oberoi mein aur aapke oopar — teen jagah — in teeno jagah par operation fauran roka jaaye. Achha, doosra, inhone kaha hai hamara ek banda giraftaar kiya hai kal; unse yeh kehna hai ki banda fauran yahaan aapke paas lekar aayein. Aur khana-wana khaya? (Yes, on your number the authorities will call. They will ask, What do you people want? So, first you ask them to stop shelling tear gas and firing. That is, within five minutes the Army should leave. If this goes on, we will not be patient, we will not wait, You write these things down. And the operations they are carrying out in the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi and above you — at three places — should be stopped with immediate effect. And, another thing, they are saying they arrested one of our guys yesterday; tell them to hand him over immediately to you, here. And food — did you have your meal?)

Terrorist: Thoda bahut (Little bit).

Handler: Thoda bahut? Yeh log to badi party-sharty karte hain, khana to hona chahiye. Achha yeh log halal hi khate hai, haraam nahi khate yeh log, to woh koi masla nahi hai (Little bit? These people hold lot of parties, there should be food around. These people eat halal meat, not haram [forbidden], so that is not an issue).

November 27, 2.33 pm, Chabad House

Handler: Salaam ailekum?

Terrorist: Wailekum as-salaam.

Handler: Kya haal chaal hai? (How is it going?)

Terrorist: Allah ka shukar hai (Things are fine by Allah’s grace).

Handler: Koi phone aaya? (Has any phone call come?)

Terrorist: Koi Inspector Patil tha Mumbai police ka; uska phone aaya. Maine kaha inspector winspector kya hota hai — koi higher authorities se baat karao (It was some Inspector Patil from Mumbai police. I said I will not talk to some ordinary inspector — get the higher authorities to talk).

Handler: Kaho area khali karao. Aur grenades feke bahar aapne? (Tell them to clear the area. And did you throw grenades?)

Terrorist: Haan ji feke (Yes, we did).

Handler: Kab feke? (When did you throw them?)

Terrorist: Abhi koi ek-do minute hua hoga (Just a minute or two back).

Handler: Koi halchal hui? (Did anything stir up?)

Terrorist: Grenade fekne ke baad koi jawabi firing nahi hui hai (There was no firing in response).

Handler: Kis taraf grenade feka hai? (In what direction did you throw them?)

Terrorist: Woh Merchant House ki taraf (Towards Merchant House).

Handler: Achha ab aap gun ki barrel bahar nikaal ke gali mein fire karein ek-do. Sirf barrel nikaalni hai, apna jism saamne nahi karna hai; neeche gali hai na open fire karein (Now you push out the gun barrel and fire once or twice in the lane outside. Don’t expose your body, only the barrel; there is an open lane below — fire there).

Terrorist: Haan open hai. Lekin hum daaye, baaye aur back mein fire kar sakte hain, front nazar nahi aa raha hai (Yes, it is open. We can fire in the left, right, and back, but we cannot see anything in the front lane).

Handler: Achha, to darwaza khula nahi abhi tak aapka? (Ok, so you have still not opened your door?)

Terrorist: Nahi abhi tak nahi khula (No, not yet).

Handler: Achha jo bhi bahar harkat karta hua banda nazar aaye na usko fire maaro. Apne aapko bachana hai; ek banda oopar chhat pe rakho, aur koi bhi movement nazar aaye to fire karo (The moment you see someone doing something outside, open fire. And, you have to protect yourself; put a man on the rooftop, and the instant you see any movement, open fire).

Terrorist: Achha yeh jo aurat hai agar iski hum khud media mein baat karaaye? Yeh khud media ko bataaye ki hamare saath yeh ho raha hai aur hamein bachaya jaye (Ok, what if we get this woman to talk to the media herself? She will tell the media what is happening with her and that she needs to be saved). [The instructor in Pakistan stops to watch TV for a while.]

Handler: Abhi aapne jo grenade feke hain usse media mein shor mach gaya hai (The grenade you just threw has created a commotion in the media). [A third person now takes the phone.]

Handler: Salaam ailekum.

Terrorist: Wailekum as-salaam.

Handler: Kaise ho bhaiya? (How are you brother?)

Terrorist: Allah ka shukar hai (Things are fine by the grace of Allah).

Handler: Jo baatein maine aapko batayi thi yaad hai na? Agar media waale poochhe kahan ke ho to kehna Hyderabad Deccan ka hoon; Hyderabad city ka hoon (You remember all that I had told you? If the media asks where you are from, tell them you are from Hyderabad in the Deccan; that you are from the city of Hyderabad).

Terrorist: Hyderabad.

Handler: Haan. Aur kehna Toli Chauki area ka hoon; aur kehna Mujahideen Deccan se mera talluk hai. Kis tanzeem se? Mujahideen Hyderabad Deccan. Aur woh pooche yeh sab kisliye kiya? Aap likh rahe hain na? (Yes. And say you are from the Toli Chauki area; say you are associated with the Deccan Mujahideen. And if they ask why you did all this? are you writing all this down?)

Terrorist: Haan ji (Yes).

Handler: Kehna hukumat ki dohri policy, hukumat to peeth thapthapati hai aur prashasan to sar par tole marti hai iski taza misaal Sachar Committee ki sifarshat hai, hukumat kuchh aur ailan karti hai aur prashasan uska amal Muslim naujawano ko pakad-pakad kar karti hai (Say it is the duplicitous policy of the government — on one hand they pat our backs, on the other they beat our heads with hammers. The latest example of this is the Sachar Committee Report. The government declares one thing but the administration executes its reverse by wrongly arresting Muslim youth.) Terrorist: Muslim?

Handler: Yuvko ko… (Youth).

Terrorist: Yuv…

Handler: Muslim naujawano ko giraftar karta hai, unka jo future barbaad karta hai. Aur unko ultimatum de de ki yeh abhi hamara trailer hai, asal film to abhi baaki hai. Aur sun, itminaan ke saath baat karna, khali apni baat karni hai; unko sawaal karne ka mauka kam dena hai (Muslim youth are arrested, their future is ruined. And give them the ultimatum that this is only a trailer, the full film is yet to be shown. And listen, talk confidently, and only allow yourself to talk; don’t let them ask too many questions). Terrorist: Theek hai. Inshallah (All right).

Handler: Ek minute (one minute). [The voice goes into consultation with other voices in the room. Some other voice now takes over the phone.]
Handler: Woh poochhenge aapki demand kya hai (They will ask what is your demand).

Terrorist: Ji (Yes).

Handler: Aap kehna, jitney bhi Musalmaan jailon mein band hai aap unko riha karo, number ek; number do, Muslim state Musalmaano ke hawale kar diya jaaye. Number teen, Kashmir se fauj bulayi jaaye aur Kashmiriyon ko unka haque diya jaaye. Babri Masjid par fauri taur par masjid ka kaam shuru kiya jaaye, uss jagah ko Musalmaano ke hawale kiya jaaye. Israel ke saath gathbandhan na kiya jaaye (You say, first, release all the Muslims in the jails; second, hand over the Muslim state to Muslims. Third, call back the Army from Kashmir and give Kashmiris their rightful due. Begin the construction of Babri Masjid immediately. The land of the masjid should be handed over to Muslims right away. Do not maintain ties with Israel).

Terrorist: Israel ke saath? (With Israel?)

Handler: Israel ke saath gathjod na kiya jaaye; aur Israel hukumat ko yeh ultimatum diya jaaye ki Musalmaano ke oopar zyadti band karein (Break off ties with Israel; and give the ultimatum to the Israeli government that it should stop the injustice on Muslims).

Terrorist: Musalmaano ke khoon se khelna band kiya jaaye (Stop playing with Muslim blood). [The terrorist gives his own poetic touch to the last bit while jotting down the notes.]

Handler: Aur Israel agar yeh nahi karega? Bas bas, yahi baatein theek hain, theek hai? (And if Israel doesn’t agree? No, no, this much is enough, okay?)

Terrorist: Theek hai (Okay). [Another voice takes over the phone.]

Handler: Jo aapki jagah hai na, kehna Nariman House se baat kar raha hoon. Media kah rahi hai ki Nariman House mein aatankwadi hai (And the place you are at, say you are calling from Nariman House. The media is saying there are terrorists in Nariman House). [The terrorists and the planners knew the place as Chabad House, which is the commonly known name of Nariman House.]

Terrorist: Nariman House.

Handler: Nariman, Nariman. Aur saath saath khayal rakhna bahar ka bhi (And also keep track of what is happening outside).

Terrorist: Inshallah. Aur jo baate likhayi hain sirf utni hi karni hai? (And, what you have instructed, we have to say only that much?)

Handler: Utni hi; ek minute hold karein, number likhein. Yeh Zee TV office ka number hai — 0120-2511064. Aur aapka number jisse aap call karenge bataoon aapko? (Yes, only that much; hold on one minute, write this number down. This is the Zee TV office number. And should I tell you the number from which you will call them, because they will ask you?)

Terrorist: Haan ji, bataien (Yes, tell me).

Handler: Aapka number hai 9819464530 (Your number is 9819464530).

Terrorist: 9819464530. Maine usko bolna hai mein bol raha hoon Nariman House se aur mujhe iss number par phone kare (I have to tell him I am calling from Nariman House and he should call me on this number).

Handler: Haan aap kahein aapke paas hostage hai, aur aap iss number par fauran call karein (Yes, you say you have a hostage, so call me on this number right now). [The phone call ends.]

Later in the evening, the terrorist, Babar Imran (Abu Aakasha) finally managed to get through a telephone number of India TV which was provided to him by his handlers.

In a fake Kashmiri accent, he first spoke to the receptionist and thinking he was on live television, he rattled off all the lines he had memorised. The receptionist was flabbergasted.

She asked Imran to be on the line as she transferred the call to the newsroom. The moment a male news producer said ‘Hello’, Imran again rattled off all the demands he had been told by his handlers to speak on TV.

The news producer told Imran that the conversation was not being broadcast live and asked him to pause so that they could talk normally.

After consultation with others present in the newsroom, the producer finally put Imran through to a female anchor.

Imran announced his demands to the world over the live telecast.

Throughout his conversation Imran maintained the fake Kashmiri accent he had assumed for the interview.

Soon after he ended his telephonic interview, the handlers in Pakistan called to congratulate him for the job well done.

28 November, 7.23 am, Chabad House

[The voice goes into consultation with other voices in the room. Some other voice now takes over the phone.]

Handler: Salaam ailekum.

Terrorist: Wailekum as-salaam.

Handler: Kya haal chaal hai pasha? (How are you doing pasha –[a term of endearment]?)

Terrorist: Mere khayal se team utaar di gayi hai (I think the team has got off).

Handler: Aapke chhat par pandrah bande abhi utre hain helicopter se (Fifteen men have climbed down on your rooftop right now).

Terrorist: Khidkiyon ke saamne bhi kuchh khade hain (They are standing in front of the windows as well).

Handler: Kya keh rahe hain? Aapko nazar aa raha hai kuch udhar? (What are you saying? Can you see anything there?)

Terrorist: Saamne kuchh firing ho rahi hai (They are firing in the front).

Handler: Aapke oopar se unhe neeche aana hai. Aapne seedhiyon par aisi position banani hai ki aate hi aap unhe gher lein: unhe seedhiyon se utarna hai neeche. Lekin aisi position banaye ki unke oopar aane se pehle aap grenade feke. Aap aisi position banaye ki matlab kamre mein rahein lekin jo seedhi hai na. Achha, aapko daaye baaye koi fauji nazar aa raha hai? (They have to climb down to reach you. Take such positions on the staircase so you can corner them as soon as they come: they will have to get down from the stairs. But you throw grenades before they come. You take such a position, you stay in the room but the stairs. Listen, can you see any Army personnel to your right and left?)

Terrorist: Hamare saamne saaf nazar aa rahe, khidkiyon mein baithe hain (We can see them clearly in the front, sitting in the windows).

Handler: Maaro, fire karo, burst maaro. Achha, baat suno, aap abhi kamre mein ho na, aap fire karo. Ek banda bahar darwaje ke paas position leke rakhe, ek andar se fire kare (Hit them, fire, open burst fire. Ok, listen, just fire from the room. Let one person take position by the door and you fire from inside).

Terrorist: Lekin hamara aage ka kamra damage ho gaya hai. Hamare paas position nahi baachti hai (But the room in front of us is damaged. We don’t have a position left).

Handler: Lekin aapko woh nazar aa rahe hain. Kyunki jaise hi unhone aapko dekh liya unhone aap par fire shuru kar dena hai (But you can see them. Because if they see you, they too will start firing immediately).

Terrorist: To issi liye keh raha hun ki oopar chhat par jayein aur wahan ladayi kare (That’s why I’m saying, we should go to the roof and fight there).

Handler: Aapne oopar nahi chadna hai. Do baatein yaad rakhni hain: number ek, jo sniper baithe huye hai na khidkiyon mein, jahan se mauka mil gaya wahan se inhe fire karna hai; doosra, jo log upar utre hai, pandrah log helicopter se, woh aapki taraf aa rahe hain. Unpar grenade feke (No, you do not have to climb up. Remember two things: one, as soon as you get the chance, fire at the snipers in the window; two, the fifteen people who have got off the helicopter are coming towards you. You have to throw grenades at them).

Terrorist: Hamare paas grenade sirf chaar bache hain (We have only four grenades left).

Handler: Achha, aap log apni positioning bana lein aur shuru ho jayein (Ok, you take your positions and begin).

Terrorist: Positioning mujhe samajh nahi aa rahi ki kaise banani hai (I cannot understand which positions to take).

Handler: Seedhiyan corner mein hai na pasha? (The stairs are in the corner, aren’t they?)

Terrorist: Haan ji, ek side mein hain (Yes, they are on one side).

Handler: To ek banda seedhiyon ko cover kare aur doosra cross baithe; jaise maine shaam ko samjhaya tha. Jaise koi agar neeche aata hai to dono taraf se ghir jaaye. (So one of you has to cover the steps and the other has to sit across; the way I had explained it in the evening. So that if someone comes down, he is surrounded on both sides.)

Terrorist: Lekin woh agar grenade fekte hain to hamare paas grenade se bachne ke liye aad nahi hai. (But if he throws a grenade, we do not have any cover to protect ourselves.)

Handler: Meri baat suno pasha. Agar aap deewar se chipak kar khade ho jaate ho, aur agar grenade fekte to kya aap tak aa sakega? (Listen to me, pasha. If you stick to the wall, can the grenade reach you?)

Terrorist: Deewar maine bataya na (I told you about the wall).

Handler: Achha aapke paas aur kya hai — koi sofa, furniture ya foam ka gadda? (Ok, what else do you have — any sofa, furniture, or foam mattress?)

Terrorist: Haan, foam ka gadda hai, ek minute (Yes, there is a foam mattress, one minute). [Another man comes on the phone.]

Handler: Aap ek kaam karein. Aap grenade fekte hue neeche utarna shuru karein (You do this. While throwing grenades, you start climbing down).

Terrorist: Hamare paas grenade nahi hai (We don’t have grenades).

Handler: Do to bache hai na? Woh istemal karein aur neeche wali manzil mein chale jaayein (You have at least two left, don’t you? Use those and go to the floor below).

Terrorist: Hum darwaze ke peechhe chhup jaayein aur jaise hi woh andar aaye to hum firing karein? (Should we hide behind the door, and the moment they come, should we fire?)

Handler: Aap alag alag chhup sakte hain? (Can you hide at different places?)

[Another man takes the phone.]

Handler: Aap ek kaam karein. Aap chhat ki taraf chalein; grenade feke aur unki taraf fire karein. Woh aap par fire kare isse pehle aap unpar fire kare. Aap Bismillah karein (You do this. Go towards the roof, throw the grenade at them; and fire at them before they can fire at you. Do this now, in the name of Allah).

Terrorist: Theek hai, ja rahe hain Allah ka naam leke (Okay, we will go, remembering the name of Allah).

Handler: Bismillah-e-Rehman-e-rahim (In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Compassionate).

28 November, 08.47 a.m.

Terrorist: Salaam ailekum.

Handler: Wailekum as-salaam.

Terrorist: Mujhe aag lag gayi hai. (I have got burnt.)

Handler: Kahaan lagi hai? (Where?)

Terrorist: Baju mein aur pair mein. (On the arms and on the legs.)

Handler: Allah-talla aapki hifazat kare. (May Allah protect you.)

Terrorist: Unke log bhi zakhmi ho rahe honge. (Their people also must be getting hurt.) [A loud gunshot rings in the background.]

Handler: Allah hafiz. (Allah protect you.) [The phone disconnects.]

The RAW later identified five Pakistani handlers who were giving instructions on the phone: Wassi, Zarrar, Jundal, Buzurg and Kahfa. Besides these five there was one more handler who was being called Major General by the terrorists.

Though the Indian investigative agencies know that Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Muzammil, Abu-al-Qama and Abu Kahfa were some of the conspirators of the Mumbai terror attack, they don’t know much about most of the other handlers — the demonic voices who directed the bloody mayhem — and of their positions in the LeT and their background.

The Indian government has handed over parts of the intercepted conversations between the terrorists to the Pakistani government. After much procrastination and many wishy-washy statements, the Pakistani government, on January 15, 2009, finally announced the formation of a special team to investigate the Mumbai terror attack.

Foreign office spokesman, Mohammed Sadiq said that Pakistan has formed an enquiry team led by the Federal Investigation Agency that will conduct the probe into the matter.