Sadanand Vasant Date is remembered for his bravery during the 26/11 attacks. He fought with Ajmal Kasab and his Lashkar-e-Taiba associate Abu Ismail, injuring him and restraining him until he fell unconscious.

Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Sadanand Vasant Date has been appointed Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). His tenure will last till his superannuation on December 31, 2026. He will replace Dinkar Gupta, who is scheduled to retire on March 31.

Sadanand Vasant Date is an IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre of the 1990 batch. It was because of his intelligence and bravery that Kasab was caught alive. After 16 years, he is appointed as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) chief on Wednesday. This agency came into existence after the three-day-long planned terrorist attack on Mumbai.

Role of Sadanand Vasant Date during the terrorist attack on Mumbai on 26/11

On that fateful night of November 26, 2008, Date, the then Additional Commissioner of Police, Central Zone, received a call that terrorists were firing indiscriminately near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST). 10 terrorists had entered Mumbai in a boat and spread across the city. This attack resulted in 18 brave sacrifices including senior Mumbai Police IPS officers Hemant Karkare and Ashok Kamte.

By the time Date and his team reached CST, both terrorists Kasab and Ismail had left the place and had taken over the rooftop of the nearby Cama Hospital. The team followed them till there. They knew that two people were there, but they had no information about the arms and ammunition present with the terrorists.

However, the team led by Sadanand Vasant Date decided to take on both of them. The team’s quick response and decisive actions played a vital role in keeping the patients at the hospital, including a large number of women and children, safe. Despite being badly injured, he continued firing on the two terrorists besides informing other senior officers about their location.