The youngest witness in the 26/11 case, Devika Rotawan, became a well-known face at the age of 10 for bearing witness to the horror of 2008 Mumbai attacks. Now, she aims to do her bit to eradicate terrorism by becoming an IPS officer.
Devika, who was admitted to the hospital after being shot in the leg, has wanted to become a police officer ever since she met top cops and heard their stories of heroism. But being witnesses in the 26/11 trial meant that death threats were a constant.
Image courtesy: The Indian Express
Devika and her family were on their way to visit relatives when the terror attacks took place at Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Terminus. After tragedy struck on the night of November 26, 2008, Devika spent over a month in the hospital. “I had reached CST from Bandra to go to Pune with my father and brother. We all were waiting for our express train on Platform No. 12. My brother had gone to the toilet and then all of a sudden, firing started. In the loud noise of the firing, there was shouting and screaming everywhere. My papa held my hand and like all other people, both of us too started running away to save our lives. Then at that moment, I realised that something hit my foot and it started severely paining. I fell on the ground,” she said.
After Devika recovered, they spent a month in Sumerpur, their hometown in Rajasthan. Following this, they returned to Mumbai for the trial without a fixed address, even being forced to take refuge at the Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus for weeks on end.
However, being hailed as a hero in the media for testifying in court meant more trouble from people around them. “Finding a place to live has been difficult. People somehow think there will be bomb explosions or terror attacks wherever we go. Some people think we did it for publicity, some have called me ‘Kasab ki beti’. They taunt me everywhere I go,” Devika, who is a few months short from turning 18, told The Indian Express.
Image courtesy: The Indian Express
Now, 10 years later, the scars of the episode continue to haunt Devika and her family. Apart from being treated as outcasts, her father Natwarlal had to shut down his dry fruit business as customers refused to be associated with a family with ‘such a past’. They now get by with monetary assistance from friends and family.
Devika is currently trying to finish Class 10 through private tuition classes. The family is still awaiting the promised accommodation from the Maharashtra government. She even joined Twitter earlier this year and has tweeted to the Prime Minister and his the official handle of the PMO, hoping that her pleas would be heard soon.
