Devika Rotawan: The Child Who Identified the Mumbai Terror Attacker

It’s been 14 years since the 26/11 attacks happened in Mumbai. For some survivors, the trauma of the memory still lingers like their worst dream. Some are trying to keep the door shut on that dark day. Nine years old, Devika Rotawan is one of the survivors of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. But she’s she’s not another normal survivor. Because that 10-year-old girl later identified the surviving gunman in court!! After Fifteen years, she reconnected with us to tell us about the changes a survivor feels aftermath of the massacre.

The 11-year-old child who identified the terrorist: How is she?

Just before a month of her 10th birthday, Devika had been shot in the leg by Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab. Qasab is the lone surviving gunman from the attack at the landmark Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station. Around 50 people lost their lives, and another 100 were wounded in the gunfire at the station alone because of him. Devika was the youngest witness to give evidence in the trial. This wonder girl identified Qasab in a packed courtroom. She took the oath and answered questions calmly.

Devika now is just a month away from turning 25. She has transformed into a radiant and confident woman. For all of these years, she has breathlessly shared her story with reporters, TV shows, podcasts, and public gatherings again and again. Once again, she told the story fluently.

She was waiting to catch the night train to  Pune. Suddenly she heard the sound of gunfire and realised people dropping dead around her. She was so shocked that she couldn’t move for some seconds.  Then she got her feet back, and started to run!! But that moment a bullet pierced through her right leg, causing her to fall unconscious!!

26/11 Survivor Identifies Qasab in 2009, Life Defined by Tragedy

She identified Qasab in a special court in June 2009. She said, “I pointed my finger at him. He looked at me, and then he looked down.”. Mumbai has healed and moved on but this little girl couldn’t. On Facebook, she identifies as the “youngest victim of the Mumbai terror attack”. On her Instagram and Twitter profiles, she goes by the handle Devika Rotawan26/11. The walls of her home are a frieze of 26/11 memories.

And then there’s us, the media. Whenever there’s tension between India and Pakistan, they turn to Devika for a quote. She says, “Sometimes, they barge in, seeking my comments. It can be quite strange at times.“

Devika expects to graduate early next year, with a bachelor’s degree in political science and humanities and wants to sit exams to become a policewoman. “I have also been looking for a job for the last few months, but haven’t found it. It’s worrying because Mumbai is becoming a very expensive city to live in,” she says.