Announcer at CST who saved many lives testifies

Vishnu Dattaram Zende identifies Kasab in a special court

Vishnu Dattaram Zende, was lauded by the then railway minister for his timely response to the terror attack, which had left at least 52 killed in the CST.
Zende told the special court that he was on duty on November 26 night and was making announcements from his elevated glass cabin from where he could see the platforms.
The announcer said that he heard a loud explosions in the main section of the terminus and saw passengers running towards suburban side.
“I immediately alerted GRP and RPF to go towards the main side,” Zende said. Seeing four local trains on the platforms, Zende began asking passengers to leave the terminus through its north exit.
The announcer said that he saw two persons holding guns on platform number 4 in front of his cabin. One of them, later identified as Abu Ismail, was shooting and “the short one”, Kasab, was loading his rifle, he said.
 Zende stopped making announcements since the duo were standing in front of him.
When his colleague went to switch off the lights one of the gunmen fired at his cabin but no one was hurt, Zende said.
Zende after identifying Kasab in open court also identified Ismail from a photograph shown to him.
He also identified a handbag carried by Kasab during the incident, an item which the arrested gunman also looked at curiously.

Another account

Another eyewitness Poonam Singh said she was going to Uttar Pradesh on November 26 with her husband and two sons. She was sitting with her six-year-old son in the main waiting hall of the CST when she heard a loud explosion.
There were two persons shooting with guns and her son stood up to look at them, Singh said. Seeing her son walking away from her, she rushed to hold him but realised that she had been injured by a bullet in the right shoulder. She then fell unconscious. Her son too was injured.
The third eyewitness, an assistant sub-inspector Pandurang Patil said he had seen Abu Ismail throwing a grenade at people and also identified Kasab as the gunman who had shot him.