Newlyweds, college-going kids, and other unsuspecting victims, who died of bullets and stones in riot-hit North East Delhi, leave behind grieving families
The riots in most localities of North East Delhi have been controlled, but it has left a trail of death and destruction, with many heartbreaking stories emerging from the affected areas. Uneasy calm has descended over the Jafarabad-Maujpur area, the epicentre of the riots, which is just 15 km away from the temple of democracy, the Parliament.
Since last Sunday, the anti and pro-Citizenship Amendment Act riots have claimed over 42 lives here. Though most of the shops continue to remain closed, life is crawling back to normal.
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The Jafarabad-Maujpur area in Delhi is among the worst affected in the anti and pro-Citizenship Amendment Act riots
Nearly 35 lakh people reside in the densely populated North East Delhi. Over the last few days, frenzied mobs torched houses, shops, vehicles and pelted stones at locals and police personnel. By Thursday, families had lined up outside the GTB Hospital and mortuary, looking for their near and dear ones.
Mohsin Ali's family is yet to find him. His car, parked near Khajuri Khas, was burnt in the riots, and a charred body was found next to the vehicle. Ali has been missing since the incident. "We haven't received his body yet. We were shown many bodies kept in the mortuary, but we couldn't identify him. One body nearly matched his, but his hair was longer, also the clothes were different. Now, we have asked for a DNA test of the charred body found next to his car," said Waris Ali Khan, Mohsin's uncle.
Electrician Ashfaq Husaain, 22, who was married only two weeks ago, succumbed to bullet injuries
Ali, 24, was a resident of Harola village in Noida and had gone to the riot-hit area to sort out a problem with his generator, which he had given on rent. He is survived by his wife, whom he married in December, last year.
Rahul Thakur, a 22-year-old student preparing for the SSC exams, was shot in the chest. His friend, Sourav Sharma said, "A mob was pelting stones outside our houses in Brijpuri. We kept calling the police and asking for help, but didn't get any protection as they had deployed only three men in the area."
Rahul Thakur
On Tuesday, around 5 pm, Thakur was standing outside his house when a few men beat him up and one of them fired at him. "I was sitting inside when my parents informed me that Rahul was lying on the road. The police didn't help us. We were able to get an ambulance after 10 minutes, but on our way, there were men who were trying to stop the ambulance. We somehow managed to escape and brought him here [at the hospital]. He was admitted to the ICU, but he died later," Sharma said. A resident of Bhajanpura, Thakur was the youngest son of his family. His father is an RPF officer. "If we had brought him early, he could have been saved," said his cousin Ankit.
The father of a 26-year-old, Rahul Solanki, who was killed during the violence in Shiv Vihar, on Wednesday took his son's body to the crematorium under police protection. "On Monday evening, my son went outside to buy milk. When he stepped out, someone fired a bullet, which hit him on his right shoulder near the neck. He died later on Wednesday," said Solanki's father Hari Singh. Solanki was pursuing LLB from IBM college in Ghaziabad. A friend of his said that they both were together when the incident took place on Monday evening. "We were outside the house, when we saw a mob approach us. We immediately started running. I ran bare feet, but when Rahul rushed to take his slippers, some unidentified persons fired at him," the friend, who did not wish to be named, said.
Mohsin Ali
Another riot victim, Mohammed Anwar, 58, a resident of Shiv Vihar, was a poultry farmer. He is survived by his daughter, who is married in Pilakhua town in Ghaziabad district. His relative, Salim Kassar, said his body was charred and it was difficult to identify him at first. "I could tell it was him by spotting a mark on his leg," he said. His daughter, Gulshan, 27, who came to GTB Hospital mortuary from Pilakhua in Ghaziabad told this reporter that he was the only breadwinner of the family, as her own husband is visually-challenged. "My husband lost his eyesight after an acid injury. My father used to send us money every month. We have lost everything," said Gulshan.
The rioters also burnt all 17 goats at his farm. Kassar said he was saved by his Hindu neighbour, who locked him inside his upper floor room, from where he saw his brother dying.
Dinesh Kumar, 35, worked as a driver and is survived by his wife and two children. Ashish Kumar, his nephew, said Kumar was on ventilator support for around eight hours. On Thursday, he was declared dead at 3.40 pm. He succumbed to a bullet injury.
Two brothers, Aamir, 30, and Hashim, 17, who were missing since Wednesday afternoon, were brought in dead to the hospital. Their elder brother Sheruddin, 31, came to GTB Hospital to identify their bodies on Thursday evening. "I spoke to them last at 9.30 pm on Wednesday. They left home on a bike, but didn't return. We have no idea how they were killed." Aamir is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Twenty two-year-old electrician Ashfaq Husaain, who was married only two weeks ago, succumbed to bullet injuries. Another young man, Shahid Alvi, 22, died on Monday evening from a gunshot wound in the stomach. He worked as an autorickshaw driver and had only married four months ago. His wife, Shaziya, is pregnant. "Now, what will happen to her?" asked Imran, his brother.
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