‘We’ve lost everything’Pankaj is a 34-year-old man now. He led a happy life with his wife and three kids four years ago. Today, his wife is no more, as he claims that she passed away of depression after he was sent to jail.“On March 9, 2020, I was picked up by the Delhi Police from my residence in connection with the riots. The next day, I was handed over to the Crime Branch, which later arrested me in a case of rioting, murder, etc etc… When I saw the FIR, it had a line of IPC sections. I was asked to sign it, but I refused. They told me this was nothing and I would be set free within some time. I never thought that this ‘sometime’ would cost me four years of my life,” Pankaj told this newspaper.Finally, in August 2023, Pankaj was released on bail. When asked on what basis he was arrested, Pankaj said, “They caught me based on my mobile location. Yes, I was there near my house but was not part of any group. I still remember February 24, when a mob of rioters near Chand Bagh flyover were raising religious slogans. I was scared. I had three children; the youngest was just a year old,” he said.Recalling one incident where a Mosque cleric saved a Hindu boy after a mob of rioters chased him, Pankaj said, “Those were terrible times. The boy was stabbed, but he ran away and entered a mosque where the cleric kept him hidden, and his life was saved.”The memory of February 25, 2020, remains vivid in Tahir’s (mentioned in the first paragraph) mind as if it occurred only yesterday. He reflects on that fateful day as the one that turned his life upside down because he had to spend two years in jail for a crime that he did not commit.His presence was captured on the CCTV footage of the area, based on which the Delhi police filed an FIR against him for charges of arson and rioting. “When the riot erupted, I was working at my brother’s shop in Mustafabad, an area affected by the riot. I heard a commotion on the main street, prompting me to move towards it. Upon reaching the main road, I witnessed people burning vehicles and pelting stones. Overwhelmed by fear, I quickly retreated and headed home,” he said.Two months later, the police knocked on his doors for an informal inquiry. Tahir mentioned that, at that time, he was unaware that the police would arrest him. However, things progressed opposite to his expectations. Then, Tahir had to spend two years imprisonment until he was proven innocent in front of the law.“In the two years of imprisonment, the major loss that my family incurred was the education of my kids. In 2019, I enrolled my daughter and son in a good school for their education. However, all my savings were spent in my legal fight, leading to their education suffering,” Tahir said.Tahir’s wife, Razia, stood by her husband during those turbulent times. She expressed that the past two years had been challenging for her. “Suddenly, all the responsibilities fell on my shoulders. I had to manage the legal case and care for my family. Those were the depressing days, and I had to resort to sleeping pills just to get some rest,” Razia asserted.Similar to Tahir, Irshad also had to spend 13 months behind bars until he was proven innocent in a Delhi court. Irshad, aged 21, stated that he was arrested based on his mobile location, questioning how it could have been any different if the riot had occurred near his residence.Despite everything, Irshad still believes that time will heal this wound and wishes that the date of 25th February should be erased from all calendars.
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