When the terror attacks took place on November 26, 2008, in Mumbai, Devika Rotawan, was barely ten years, the sight of terrorists running amok on the night of 26/11 would forever alter her life. Shot on her right leg at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) station, she was the youngest witness to testify against Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist captured alive, at a special court in Mumbai.
Devika Rotawan remembered the events of 26/11 like it was yesterday.On that fateful day, her father Natwarlal Rotawan, the owner of a small dry fruits business, younger brother Jayesh and Devika were on their way to Pune to meet her elder brother Bharat.
“We travelled from Bandra to CST, where my little brother decided to use the public toilet. As soon as my brother entered the toilet, the terrorists started firing and a bomb exploded. In the ensuing melee, everyone started to run away from the terrorists and so did we. As we were running away, I was shot on my right leg and fell unconscious. Before I was shot, however, I remembered the man who shot a lot of other innocent people at the station and me,” she said.
She remembers the scene marked by total horror, panic and chaos with people screaming in fear and agony. “After that, I was taken to St George’s hospital. Over there I had my operation, following which I was taken to JJ Hospital. Here I was admitted for about 1.5 months. Doctors conducted multiple surgeries on my leg.
After the operation, my family and I went away to our village in Sumerpur, Rajasthan. There police officials from Mumbai contacted my father, asking him whether I was ready to testify and come to court. Both my father and I had identified Kasab out of three suspects presented to us,” said Devika.