Decorated cop who played key role in 26/11 probe dies of Covid

MUMBAI: A decorated officer who made headlines with breakthrough arrests in terror cases, succumbed to Covid-19 on Wednesday, raising the toll in the Maharashtra police force to 108 in the wake of the epidemic.
Inspector Azam Yusuf Patel, part of the team that probed the 26/11 attack in 2008, is the 11th officer from the state force to die of the novel coronavirus infection. He was 49. For the family, it was a double tragedy - on Monday his father Yusuf Patel, a retired police inspector, had passed away of natural causes at his sister's residence in Pune.
Patel was admitted to Saifee hospital on July 22 with fever. "His condition didn't improve, it got worse with congestion and pneumonia. He was on a ventilator. He passed away at 2 am," said a relative. Patel was buried at the Bada Qabrastan, Marine Lines. He is survived by his wife, son Mohammed Azzuddin who is preparing for the UPSC exams and daughter Afreen who is a law student.
Patel's last posting was as assistant commissioner at the state intelligence department (SID) after a stint with National Intelligence Agency (NIA)'s Mumbai's unit. Colleagues and seniors described him as an officer who combined investigative skills with ability to gather intel in the field. Former police commissioner Rakesh Maria, who led the force during the 26/11 probe, said "Patel was known for his network, dedication and interrogation skills. He was an asset to whichever office he worked in."
Patel was also a key witness in the 26/11 case because he was at the spot when one of the terrorists, who was later caught and executed, Ajmal Kasab, began spraying bullets from an AK-47 near Metro Cinema. Patel was quick to raise an alarm. "He immediately shouted and asked policemen and the public to lie down, many lives were saved,'' said Ramesh Mahale, chief investigating officer in the 26/11 case.
Patel had made his mark even earlier in sensitive investigations. He made the first breakthrough following the 7/11 multiple train blasts in Mumbai in 2006 which killed 188. To nab a suspect without warning, he dressed as a morning jogger and visited a shop where he worked. The unwitting Zameer Shaikh, a key maker, was then escorted to a crime branch office. Shaikh's interrogation led the police to two others who had travelled to Pakistan to learn bomb-making. The trio were later convicted and sentenced to life.
It was Patel again who built a case against controversial preacher Zakir Naik during an NIA probe. He later became the first officer from Mumbai to receive the coveted NIA DG's Insignia medal for outstanding performance.
Patel's death has shocked many in the force as he was known to maintain a high level of physical fitness. He, in fact, played for the police cricket team. "He had excellent skills of investigation and was a very good cricketer," said retired ACP Iqbal Shaikh.