A sofa witnessed Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's bravery on 26/11; a unique story from Mumbai's Taj Hotel.:

News Topical, Digital Desk : The Mumbai terror attack still shakes people's hearts. Hundreds of stories have been fabricated about this attack, but we're going to tell you a unique one. They say that if the inanimate could speak, we could ask them about the countless stories we never witnessed. One such story is that of NSG commando Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, one of the brave soldiers martyred during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Let us tell you that 10 terrorists including Kasab had carried out a terrorist attack in Mumbai in which historical places like Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident Hotel, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST) railway station, Leopold Cafe, Nariman House and Cama Hospital were targeted.

There was a "mute witness" to the encounter between Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and four terrorists at the Taj Mahal Hotel. According to Paperclip, it was a sofa set, recovered from the Palm Lounge on the first floor of the Taj Hotel, that bore a total of 13 bullet marks.

According to Paperclip's post, this sofa was located on the first floor where a fierce encounter took place between terrorists and Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, an officer of the Indian Army's elite National Security Guard (NSG), renowned for his exceptional bravery.

In January 2007, he joined the NSG's 51st Special Action Group. During the 26/11 terrorist attacks, the NSG launched Operation Black Tornado. Major Sandeep entered the hotel with a team of 10 commandos.

During this operation which lasted for about 15 hours, he rescued many people trapped in the hotel and his colleagues who were injured in the firing by terrorists.

Meanwhile, on November 27, Major Sandeep and his team made the risky decision to climb the stairs to engage the terrorists. Seeing this, the terrorists opened indiscriminate fire, fatally injuring fellow commando Sunil Jodha.

Major Sandeep single-handedly pursued the terrorists and managed to corner them in the hotel's north ballroom. He sacrificed his life in this encounter, saving the lives of others. His efforts led to the success of the NSG's Operation Black Tornado. Major Sandeep was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra in 2009.