Hyderabadis seek speedy trial and death for Rana

Hyderabad:People have demanded speedy trial and capital punishment for 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Tahawwur Rana, who is responsible for the death of 160 innocent people, including three from Telangana.

Chef Vijay Rao Banja and lawyer Lakshmi Narayana Haridwarilal Goel from Hyderabad and Ameena Begum from Nizamabad were among the people killed in the 26/11 attacks.

Banja, who was a chef at the iconic Taj Mahal hotel, was shot while he was helping his colleagues and guests to escape from the terrorists, while Ameena Begum fell to bullets at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) on the fateful day. Goel was killed when an IED exploded in the taxi he was travelling in near Vile Parle. He was returning to a relative's house in Mumbai after missing the train to Hyderabad from CST.

According to the Banja family, they had called Vijay Rao over his mobile phone when they heard about the terror attack. He informed them that he was safe along with others in the kitchen. “Later, we received the shocking news from his friends that he was shot dead by terrorists when he was helping his colleagues to get out of the kitchen,” the family said.

Reacting to Tahawwur Rana’s extradition to India, Vinod Rao Banja, the brother of Vijay Rao Banja, said: “It doesn’t seem like a great achievement for us personally. Yes, I agree that the extradition is necessary and he must be punished for taking the lives of so many innocent people. But now the long process of trial will begin, and he will get the VIP treatment (as in the case of Kasab), which brings little joy to us. But administratively, it is an achievement for India. We hope that he is tried at a fast track court and gets a deserved punishment.”

“In fact over these years, we were just about coming to terms with our terrible loss and now his being in the news I would say limelight is like fiddling with a healing wound on a daily basis which will only prolong our sufferings,” he added.

Rev. Joel Kumar, a priest working in a Telugu church in Mumbai, says terrorists don’t deserve forgiveness. “Once anyone becomes a terrorist is always a terrorist. They don’t have humanity. They must be punished. No forgiveness should be given.”

Oddi Joseph Madhu, retired additional collector, praised the Indian government and the NIA for their relentless efforts to get Rana extradited from the US. “The news of the extradition of Tahawwur Rana was a balm to many of us, who were deeply troubled and seething with anger for the loss of more than 160 innocent lives in the multiple bomb attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008,” he said.

David Sampath Kumar, assistant vice-president of a private company, says, “Tahawwur Rana’s extradition sends a strong message that individuals accused of orchestrating or supporting terrorism will be held accountable. For the families of the victims, it may bring a sense of closure and renewed hope that justice will ultimately prevail.”

“In my view, a speedy trial should be carried out to ensure speedy justice,” he added.

For homemaker and businesswoman Turaka Madhavi Reddy, Rana’s extradition to India has given some comfort and hope. “It gives peace and comfort to our mind. Rana should be awarded capital punishment,” she said.