One year since the gruesome anti-Hindu riots broke out in the national capital, the fear of being persecuted by the Muslim residents still preys on the minds of the Hindus living in the violence-stricken regions of Delhi’s northeast, an eyewitness of the riots told OpIndia.
“Hindus living in the area still refrain from passing through the Muslim-dominated region lest they would be attacked by a mob of bloodthirsty rioters,” the eyewitness, who was also a victim of the anti-Hindu riots that erupted in February 2020 said.
Speaking to OpIndia, the eyewitness, Pradeep Kumar Verma, alleged that the prevailing situation on the ground is tense as there still exists bad blood between the communities following the riots in Delhi last year. The eyewitness, who has deposed against rioters, said the family members of those lodged in jail ominously glare at him and other witnesses.
“The relatives of Liyaqat and Rihasat Khan, the father-son duo who were arrested for stone-pelting in the neighbourhood, give a death stare to me,” the eyewitness said.
Elaborating on the lack of trust and perpetual fear gripping the neighbourhood, the eyewitness stated that Hindus in the region are advised against travelling to the Muslim-dominated regions alone. He highlighted a recent incident where a Hindu passerby was ruthlessly thrashed by a rabid Muslim mob in Mustafabad.
Pradeep Kumar Verma, a Hindu whose garage was gutted by Tahir Hussain and other Islamists has told the police that first, Shah Alam, Gulfam, Riyasat Ali and others broke open the shutter of his parking, burnt and damaged vehicles and also looted Rs 20-22 thousand.
While this was happened, Tahir Hussain and others like Liyakat Ali were throwing stones, petrol bombs towards the parking lot and also instigating others to do so.
Pradeep had earlier went on record and attested to journalists that he had heard the mob chanting ‘Hindu hai, maaro”, (kill them, they are Hindus).
Tahir Hussain bungalow sealed opened from the last 5-6 months: Eyewitness
The eyewitness, who is the resident of Delhi’s Chand Bagh, the epicentre of the anti-Hindu riots, said that the seal of Tahir Hussain’s bungalow was opened 5-6 months ago.
Hussain’s house was used by communally charged Muslim mob to perpetrated violence against Hindu residents. Horrifying visuals of violent mob hurling Molotov and stones towards the Hindu colony had gone viral on the social media websites at the time of the riots. Tahir’s house was the place where slain IB sleuth Ankit Sharma was last seen before his body was found in a nearby ditch.
The onlooker asserted that Tahir Hussain’s house has remained open after the ED visited the place some 5 to 6 months ago. He added that the house was owned by Tahir’s wife and is currently being used by people whose relatives are detained in jails for their involvement in instigating the violence.
Muslim mob dragged Ankit Sharma inside Tahir Hussain’s house: Eyewitness
With respect to the murder of IB sleuth Ankit Sharma, the eyewitness reiterated his stance that he has deposed in front of the court. He said that he saw Sharma the last time when he was being violently dragged inside Tahir Hussain’s house by a group of rampaging individuals, days before his body was found in a drain in the area. Sharma was stabbed over 400 times, and his body was mutilated beyond belief.
