New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS) Kavita Karkare, the widow of slain Maharashtra top cop Hemant Karkare, got a sympathetic hearing from Congress president Sonia Gandhi on whom she called on here Monday.
The Congress chief reportedly told her she empathised with her grief as her husband (former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi) too had fallen to terrorists.

According to Congress sources, Sonia Gandhi told Kavita Karkare to busy herself with social work to get out of her pain.

Kavita Karkare raised with Gandhi issues pertaining to the victims of last year’s terror strikes.

Speaking to reporters later, Kavita said justice would be done only if Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist captured alive during the attack, was hanged.

The meeting with Gandhi comes three days ahead of the first anniversary of the 26/11 attack. Hemant Karkare, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief, was killed in the firing by the 10 Pakistani terrorists who sneaked into Mumbai in November last year.

The killing spree and the bloody saga ended only when security forces killed all but one of them.

Karkare died of the bullet injuries he received on his chest. The efficacy of the bulletproof jacket Karkare wore during the shootout has been debated even though the jacket is yet to be found.

Kavita had filed a Right to Information (RTI) application about the jacket. However, the Maharashtra government informed her that the jacket was nowhere to be found as it had been misplaced in the melee that ensued after the wounded Karkare was brought to the JJ Hospital and the doctors had removed his jacket.

Kavita had last week also questioned the state government about the delay in reinforcements reaching her husband and two other officers killed in the 26/11 attacks.

Asked about Kavita Karkare’s demand for hanging Kasab, Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said the terrorist was facing a trial and his punishment would be decided by the judge.

“The government’s duty is to properly place the evidence before the court,” he said.