Devika Rotawan

Devika Rotawan is a survivor of the 2008 Mumbai attacks (also referred to as 26/11) and a key witness who identified Ajmal Kasab during trial as a perpetrator of the attack.[1] She was 9 years old when she was shot in the leg during the attack in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai.[2]

Devika Rotawan
देविका रोतावन
Devika Rotawan in 2020
Born
Mumbai, Maharashtra
NationalityIndian
EducationChetana College

Early life and education

Devika Rotawan was born to Sarika and Natwarlal Rotawan[1] and has two brothers.[3] Her mother died in 2006.[1] Her father sold dried fruit before the 2008 Mumbai attacks.[1][4]

After the attack, she and her family moved to Rajasthan, where her father is from and has family,[5][4] then returned to Mumbai for the trial, and moved to a Bandra slum in 2009.[6]

When she attempted to attend school after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, she was teased and shunned by her classmates.[7] She began school at age 11,[6] but had at first encountered resistance to her enrollment due to security concerns.[1] She graduated from IES New English High School, Bandra east, completed HSC from Siddharth College, Fort, and attended Chetana College.[5]

2008 Mumbai attacks

Rotawan was nine years old when she was injured in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.[8] On 26 November 2008, she was waiting for a train with her father and brother when the attack started, and she was shot in her leg.[9][10] After the attack, she had six surgeries and spent 65 days in the hospital.[9] She lost the use of her right leg[10] during her treatment and recuperation.[11][12]

She was the youngest witness in the trial against Ajmal Kasab.[8][4] She was recuperating from her injuries while also preparing for the trial in meetings with lawyers and depositions.[5] On 10 June 2009, during her trial testimony, she identified Kasab as an attacker in the train station, and her father also testified.[13][3][14]

Post-attack life

After the attacks, her family received compensation from the government and financial support from politicians and organizations, and spent much of the money on the medical care for her brother Jayesh.[1] She has said additional compensation later went to her own medical treatment.[8]

She has said she wants to become an IPS officer.[5][6] In 2019, she shared her story with the website Humans of Bombay.[15] In 2020, she said she still had not received the home she had been promised by the government,[8][6] and Maharashtra MLA Zeeshan Siddique advocated to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for the home to be provided to her.[15][16] In October 2020, after she filed a petition in court seeking the home from the government and asserted her family was unable to pay rent on their chawl in Bandra, the Bombay High Court ordered Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar to consider it.[17][18]

Honours and awards

In 2009, she was honoured with an award from a NGO. She also received the Nagrik Ratan award in Rajasthan from Banwari Lal Joshi. In 2014, she was awarded a Women Achievers Award, Rajasthan Gaurav Award, Shree Ganganagar Rajasthan Award from Tapovan trust, and the Baramati Award from Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar.

References
  1. Biswas, Soutik (26 November 2010). "The girl who identified Qasab". BBC News. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. David, Supriti (27 November 2019). "'Every family has a different story, a unique trauma'". The Hindu. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  3. Wangchuk, Rinchen Norbu (20 November 2018). "Exclusive: Shot On Her Leg, This Girl Was Just 10 When She Testified Against Ajmal Kasab!". The Better India. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  4. Salve, Sachin (26 November 2018). "Taunted as 'Kasab ki Beti', Girl Who Led 26/11 Attacker to Gallows Wants to Become IPS Officer". News18. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  5. "12 years of 26/11 attacks: Plucky Mumbai girl who sealed Ajmal Kasab's fate". The New Indian Express. IANS. 26 November 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  6. Iyer, Kavitha (25 November 2018). "Devika Rotawan: I want to be an IPS officer, I'll end terrorism". The Indian Express. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  7. Sood, Megha (25 November 2018). "'They called me Kasab ki beti': 9-year-old shot during 26/11 Mumbai attacks recounts horror". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  8. "When Kasab Shot Me, He Smiled': Youngest 26/11 Witness Recounts". The Quint. 26 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  9. Biswas, Soutik (3 May 2010). "Mumbai: A symbolic conviction". BBC News. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  10. "Kasab deserves no mercy, says father of girl who lost her leg in attack". The Hindu. PTI. 3 May 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2021. updated November 11, 2016
  11. Nichenametla, Prasad (11 December 2008). "Looking at the bright side". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  12. "The day they were scarred forever". Hindustan Times. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  13. Pinglay, Prachi (10 June 2009). "Girl 'identifies Mumbai gunman'". BBC News. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  14. "Youngest 26/11 witness identifies Kasab as CST gunman". NDTV. PTI. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  15. "'Devika Rotawan was 9–year-old when she identified Kasab' - Uddhav Thackeray urged to allot a house to girl". TimesNowNews. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  16. Srinivasan, Chandrashekar (14 September 2020). ""She Was 9 When She Identified Kasab": MLA's Appeal To Uddhav Thackeray". NDTV. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  17. "Bombay HC asks state to consider 26/11 survivor's plea for govt house & higher education". The Indian Express. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  18. Saigal, Sonam (25 August 2020). "26/11 victim moves HC, seeks accommodation". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
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