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Exclusive: JCT Players Amidst Mumbai Firing
Last night when the firings took place at the Leopold Café as the city of Mumbai was terrorized, several JCT players were stuck in the mess and this Goal.com reporter was with them.
27-Nov-2008 10:22:08 PM
Four JCT
players – Daljit Singh, Jaspal Singh, Shivraj Singh and Baldeep Singh Junior and
this reporter were strolling on the streets of Colaba.
About 25 yards away from Leopold Café is an Adidas showroom where Daljit and Baldeep decided to check some stuff. Just then some gun shots were heard which sounded as firecrackers at the first instant.
We ran for cover in the Adidas showroom and were soon joined by Balraj Singh, Balwant Singh and Jagpreet Singh who were also lurking around. Thereby, this reporter and the security brought down the shutters of the showroom.
Besides the seven JCT players, there were couple of passer-by’s who also took shelter of the showroom. For the next few moments, each one related their side of the story as to what happened.
The trio of Balraj Singh, Balwant Singh and Jagpreet Singh were jittery and the nervousness on their faces was apparent. In the meantime, this reporter got in touch with some of his crime reporter friends to inform and check the latest on the situation.
This reporter kept giving updates of the situation outside and asked the fellow persons trapped inside the showroom not make much noise.
There were faces looking at each other in anxiousness and anxiety. They were asking various questions as to how and when could we get out from this horrifying situation. Some said it was a gang war while some felt that maybe it was an encounter.
Even after, we shut the showroom from inside, several gun shots were heard which made everyone tense. After spending close too an hour in the shop and not hearing anymore gun shots, we opened the shutters.
Having seen that the situation was a bit chaotic but still under control at least at that instant, this reporter decided to tell the players to return to the safety of their hotel room.
Since there weren’t any vacant taxis available, this reporter ensured that the players took the first BEST bus which would have dropped them near their hotel.
However, due to immediate curfew being imposed in the Colaba area the players had to take secondary routes to reach their hotel. The seven players were helped by another local to get back to Hotel Celeste, which is at the Sassoon Dock from where according to the Indian Home Ministry, the terrorists entered the city.
Having reached the hotel, the players called this reporter to inform of their safety at around 11.30 p.m. IST.
Rahul Bali.
About 25 yards away from Leopold Café is an Adidas showroom where Daljit and Baldeep decided to check some stuff. Just then some gun shots were heard which sounded as firecrackers at the first instant.
We ran for cover in the Adidas showroom and were soon joined by Balraj Singh, Balwant Singh and Jagpreet Singh who were also lurking around. Thereby, this reporter and the security brought down the shutters of the showroom.
Besides the seven JCT players, there were couple of passer-by’s who also took shelter of the showroom. For the next few moments, each one related their side of the story as to what happened.
The trio of Balraj Singh, Balwant Singh and Jagpreet Singh were jittery and the nervousness on their faces was apparent. In the meantime, this reporter got in touch with some of his crime reporter friends to inform and check the latest on the situation.
This reporter kept giving updates of the situation outside and asked the fellow persons trapped inside the showroom not make much noise.
There were faces looking at each other in anxiousness and anxiety. They were asking various questions as to how and when could we get out from this horrifying situation. Some said it was a gang war while some felt that maybe it was an encounter.
Even after, we shut the showroom from inside, several gun shots were heard which made everyone tense. After spending close too an hour in the shop and not hearing anymore gun shots, we opened the shutters.
Having seen that the situation was a bit chaotic but still under control at least at that instant, this reporter decided to tell the players to return to the safety of their hotel room.
Since there weren’t any vacant taxis available, this reporter ensured that the players took the first BEST bus which would have dropped them near their hotel.
However, due to immediate curfew being imposed in the Colaba area the players had to take secondary routes to reach their hotel. The seven players were helped by another local to get back to Hotel Celeste, which is at the Sassoon Dock from where according to the Indian Home Ministry, the terrorists entered the city.
Having reached the hotel, the players called this reporter to inform of their safety at around 11.30 p.m. IST.
Rahul Bali.
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