Mumbai, May 07: Four people, from a 25-yr-old victim to a 106-yr-old Gandhian, have come forward for the job
‘I can kill him with my bare hands’
Name: Prakash Lalwani (74)
Height: 5’11”
Profile: Lalwani was one of the youngest active participants in the Freedom Movement and worked as a messenger boy for the freedom fighters at the age of 11.
Reasons: “For me, Qasab is an embodiment of evil and is an even greater enemy of the country than General Dyer, who shot down so many innocent people in Jallianwala Bagh. I don’t need a rope to kill Qasab, I can kill him with my bare hands. If the Government gives me a chance, I can even prove that I am more skilled than Qasab by killing him in an encounter.”
’26/11 cost me my job’
Name: Sanjay Kathar (25)
Height: 5’11”
Profile: Kathar was working at a call centre and was up for a promotion when the 26/11 attack took place. The Colaba resident sustained injuries from a grenade attack carried out at Nariman House by Qasab’s accomplices.
He is currently unemployed and his younger brother has the onus of supporting the family of five.
Reasons: “Despite my family obligations, I had to leave my job because of the injuries. Even though Qasab wasn’t directly responsible for my condition, left to me, I would have cut him up into pieces. Nothing can reverse the bad times I’ve had because of that one day.”
‘I am ready to do the holy job’
Name: CHB Vitthaldas (106)
Height: 5’8″
Profile: Vitthaldas, a staunch Gandhian, participated in satyagrahas in Goa, Hyderabad and Nizamabad. He met Mahatma Gandhi at Jinnah House in 1938 and was later inspired to join the freedom struggle.
Reasons: “At 106, I am definitely no longer very young to fight terror, but it really pained me to see innocent people dying at the hands of Qasab and his accomplices. I want all terrorists to be hanged and, if there is no one to hang Qasab, I am ready to do the holy job. There’s something wrong with our system if sheer will power could get us our independence, why can’t we tackle a relatively small problem like terror?”
‘I will be the luckiest man alive’
Name: Santosh Dattaram Veer (34)
Height: 5’7″
Profile: Veer is a fish merchant and was present near Nariman House when terrorists started lobbing grenades there on 26/11. One of his friends, Harish Goyal, lost his life that day, while four others were critically injured.
Reasons: “I will consider myself the luckiest man alive if I get the opportunity to hang Qasab. I still remember that fateful night when Harish was killed in the attack at Nariman House and, as a Mumbaikar and an Indian, I will be proud to get the holy job.”