Statue of 26/11 martyr Sandeep Unnikrishnan unveiled in Bangalore

Bangalore/Thane, Nov.26 (ANI): On the fourth anniversary of the 2008 militant attacks on Mumbai, a statue of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who lost his life while leading a commando operation, was unveiled in Bangalore on Monday.

Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, an officer of Indian Army and deputed to the National Security Guards (NSG) a crack commando outfit, died fighting the militants at Mumbai during the attacks.

Unnikrishnan's parents, K. Unnikrishnan and Dhanalakshmi Unnikrishnan, were present at the unveiling ceremony.

Karnataka's former Director General of Police (DGP), Shankar Bidari, said the statue should serve as a source of inspiration to the country's youth.

"I hope that this statue will always inspire and strengthen the resolve of the younger generation to protect their country," Bidari said.

Unnikrishnan was leading a team of NSG commandos in the Taj operation and was arranging for the evacuation of his men and chased the terrorists to another floor of the Taj Mahal hotel, continuously engaging them in battle.

Isolated from the rest of his team, he eventually fell to the bullets of the militants. Seriously hurt, he succumbed to his injuries, the only casualty from India's elite commando force during the operation.

In Thane, a group of cyclists undertook a 45-kilometre rally to Mumbai in order to commemorate the sacrifices of police officials who were killed in the attack. Flagged off in the early hours of Monday, the event saw over 70 cycling enthusiasts take part.

"We will go to Azad Maidan from here, from where we will proceed to the Police Memorial. Our objective is to commemorate the sacrifice of police officers on 26/11. There are around 75 cyclists, and the distance we will travel is around 45 kilometres," said rally leader Shirish Gorle.

Ten militants arrived on the Mumbai shoreline in a dinghy on November 26, 2008, before splitting into four groups and embarking on a killing spree. They held off elite commandos for up to 60 hours in two luxury hotels and a Jewish centre in the city. (ANI)