Delhi riots revisited: Mursaleen’s widow, four kids stare at uncertain future

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Delhi riots revisited: Mursaleen's widow, four kids stare at uncertain future

Masihuzzama Ansari | India Tomorrow

New Delhi | Nargis’ eyes swell with tears when she recalls the day her 35-year-old husband Mursaleen went missing last year.

Nargis and her four kids are staring at an uncertain future as Mursaleen was the only breadwinner of the family.

Mursaleen of Mustafabad was among nine people hacked to death by mobsters for not chanting `Jai Shri Ram’ during communal riots in North-East Delhi last year.

Working in a clothing factory, Mursaleen had left for work on February 26 when he was caught by rioters and asked to chant `Jai Shri Ram’. He was brutally tortured before being shot dead. Later his body was dumped in a nearby nallah.

Nineteen days later, his badly decomposed body was recovered from nallah. His body was beyond recognition, and he was identified by his clothes and Aadhar card.

“He went missing on February 26. When he did not return for three days, we went to Gokulpuri police station and lodged a missing complaint. We also visited hospitals and mortuaries, but to no avail,” said Nargis.

Originally hailing from Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, Mursaleen was putting up at Mustafabad with his family.

“After 19 days, we received a call from police station saying they have recovered a body. We went to JTB with the police and identified his body. His body was beyond recognition. We identified him by his Aadhar card and clothes,” she said.

Police lodged an FIR and filed a charge sheet against the accused in a local court.

In its charge-sheet, Delhi Police said the conspiracy to kill was hatched on the WhatsApp group ‘Katar Hindu Ekta’. This group was spewing venom against Muslims.

The charge-sheet said during riots, mobsters were regularly conversing on the WhatsApp group and passing information to kill those Muslims who would not chant `Jai Shri Ram’.

Delhi Minority Commission in its fact-finding report blamed BJP leaders for instigating riots. The report underlined the provocative speeches made by BJP leaders in a run-up to riots. The report said that the riots were organized and Muslims were targeted with purpose.

The report noted that due to anti-CAA protests, there was a lot of pressure on the government. It said BJP leaders wanted to evict the protesters and ultimately riots were used as a medium.

The report said 11 mosques, five madrassas, one dargah, and one graveyard were damaged in the riots. The report noted that no religious place of non-Muslims was damaged in Muslim areas during riots.

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