Zanjeer

The year was 1993, and this was a bad time. The political and religious tensions were never far away, the hatred was endemic, and violence could erupt at any time. Unfortunately, the individuals concerned seemed to decide that dialogue was not the answer, so “let’s plant bombs that indiscriminately kill and maim.”

The city of Mumbai suffered a horrific terrorist attack; twelve bombs that included car bombs, scooter bombs, suitcase bombs and grenades were detonated around the city, and the death toll was 257 dead and 713 injured, absolute carnage, but it could have been worse. A lot worse. Those hundreds could have been thousands, even tens of thousands, but for a labrador retriever called Zanjeer. He was named after a 1973 Bollywood action movie of that title. Considered one of the most successful explosive detection dogs ever, he was also known as Ginger, a name derived from the colour of his coat. It is thought that his handlers, Ganesh Andale and V G Rajput, found the name Ginger not so easy to pronounce, so they reverted to calling him Zanjeer.

As the mayhem continued, Zanjeer worked daily with his handlers in the bomb squad. He started by discovering rifles, pistols and 200 grenades, all left outside a temple.

He then led his team to a scooter bomb containing gelatin sticks. He followed this by leading his handlers into the bazaar, where two suitcases were found and opened, revealing the contents to be more rifles.

All together, he discovered an incredible haul of weaponry. 3329 kilos of RDX explosives, 600 detonators, 249 hand grenades, 6000 rounds of ammunition, plus the discovery of three more bombs in the days following the blasts

A lifetime of work

In his career, he also found 175 petrol bombs, 57 homemade bombs ready for use, 11 military bombs plus grenades, detonators and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

The bomb squad were so dependent on Zanjeer that they often sped to the scene and failed to bring any other equipment. They relied entirely on his unique ability and his signature warning that he had found explosives. He always barked three times. There is no evidence that he was trained that way, as it is not the usual warning given by a highly trained explosive detection dog. Generally, they are trained to sit instantly without making a sound, as it is unknown what detonation system is being used.

The senior officer of the bomb detection and disposal unit (BDDU) is quoted as saying that the dog was “God sent” as he could find what men could not do.

Heroic legacy

Most of us will depart this world without leaving a legacy. Zanjeer, however, will pass, having saved thousands of lives with no idea that so many are alive thanks to him. Logically, it should also be remembered that many of the people he saved have had children who would never have been born without his efforts!   If he had been a human, he would have been awarded many medals, declared a hero, and probably given great wealth and books written, and Hollywood would have made the movie. He is only remembered on 16th November by those who knew him.

Zanjeer laid the foundations for the future training of explosive detection dogs across India.

Zanjeer died of bone cancer on November 16, 2000, at the age of eight. At his funeral, his face was painted with a red dot. In Indian culture, the third eye has many meanings, but in this instance, it is believed to signify concealed wisdom and inner vision. Zanjeer’s fellow officers laid floral wreaths on him before he was buried with full state honours.