Sadanand Date to head ATS of Maharashtra Police

Daredevil, honest and no-nonsense IPS officer Sadanand Date - who fought Pakistani fidayeens during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack - would be the new chief of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra police.

The 1990-batch officer, who is of the rank of Additional Director General of Police, is currently the Commissioner of Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar police commissionerate.

In the past, he had held several important posts including the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) in Mumbai.

During central deputation, he had also served the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

During the 26/11 terror attacks, he took on Pakistani fidayeen Mohammed Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail at the Cama & Albless Hospital and was injured.

Before heading the elite Crime Branch-CID of Mumbai Police, he was chief of Force One, an elite crack commando team formed after the 26/11 terror attacks, on the lines of NSG or the Black Cat commandos.

Dr Date has handled several crises in Mumbai – like the hostage crisis when a youth from Bihar, Rahul Raj, entered a BEST bus and took a dozen passengers hostage saying that he wanted to “kill Raj Thackeray” – before being shot dead by Mumbai cops.

Besides, during 26/11, played a role in firefighting operations during the June 21, 2012 fire at Mantralaya, and rescued several people.

Dr Date had deposed before the special 26/11 court and the then Additional Sessions Judge ML Tahaliyani had praised the alertness of Dr and recorded in the judgement: “Prosecution witness no. 118 (Date) was wearing a bulletproof jacket. He, however, instead of directly going to the terrace, thought it proper to access the situation, and therefore, he threw one metal object, which was lying on the 6th floor of the building, towards the terrace door. Immediately, there was a burst firing from an automatic weapon from the terrace of the building......”.

During the encounter, he sustained injuries on his right eye, left side of the chest, below armpit, throat, right knee and left ankle due to fragments of grenades.

He attended the University of Minnesota under the Humphrey fellowship program, where he studied the theoretical and practical aspects of controlling white-collar and organized crime in the United States.