Delhi violence: Mob burns Khajuri Khas home of BSF jawan who served in J&K for 3 yrs; all savings lost, says family

The home of a BSF jawan was among several burned by mobs in northeast Delhi's Khajuri Khas amid the riots that gripped the district for three days from 23 February, News18 reported.

The family of Mohammad Anees hoped the nameplate on the doorway, which has the BSF insignia and identifies Anees as a member of the paramilitary force, would deter the mob. But to no avail. As per the News18 report, the mob first pelted the house with stones and shouted: "Idhar aa Pakistani, tujhe naagarikta dete hai" (Pakistani, we will give you citizenship) before tossing a gas cylinder into the home.

As per the report News18 report, Anees spent three years in Jammu and Kashmir guarding the border after joining the BSF in 2013. Anees' family has lost all their savings, including Rs 3 lakh in cash and gold jewellery, as per the report.

First-person accounts emerge

Victims of the rampage in the Al-Hind hospital also recounted first-person accounts.

The nameplate outside Mohammad Anees' home. News18

"We jumped from the first floor with dupattas wrapped around our bodies to save ourselves," says a 45-year-old woman at northeast Delhi's Al-Hind Hospital, recalling how she and her two daughters were forced to flee their home after a mob barged in and molested them, PTI reported.

"I was at home when a mob barged in. I and my two daughters were molested and our clothes torn by the mob," the quadragenarian, who runs an NGO in Karawal Nagar, said with tears in her eyes.

She said the mob chased them but stopped and eventually disappeared after they sought refuge in the house of Ayub Ahmed, a grocery shop owner known to them. "When we reached Ahmed's house, he gave us food and other necessary things and later brought us to the Al-Hind Hospital. I can identify the miscreants as they were from our lane," she added.

Ahmed said the women have been left traumatised by the incident.

The woman is one of the many who have been brought to the Al-Hind Hospital over the past few days after being attacked by armed mobs in violence-hit northeast Delhi. Each has a horrific tale to tell.

Salman Khan (20), a resident of Karawal Nagar, said he was near his house on Tuesday night when a mob poured a chemical on his back that caused his skin to burn. "Some unidentified people caught me near my house and poured an acid-like liquid on my back. I have no idea what the substance was. It was very hot and my skin started burning as soon as they poured it on me," he said.

He said he was brought to the hospital by police around 11 pm.

Akil Saifi (30), who works with a private company, said he was thrashed by some people in Gokulpuri, which was among the areas worst-hit by the violence. "When I was returning home from office on Tuesday around 8.30 pm, some unidentified people stopped my motorcycle and started beating me as they saw skull cap on the head of my friend who was riding pillion. His name is Bilal and he is handicapped," he said. "The fingers of my left hand were fractured and Bilal sustained minor injuries," he added.

At least 42 people were killed and over 200 injured in the communal clashes that broke out in northeast Delhi after violence between supporters of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and those opposing it spiralled out of control on Sunday.

Mehraj, a doctor at the Al-Hind Hospital, said injured who were in serious condition were referred to government hospitals. "We referred four to five people to government hospitals as their condition was very bad. Two people died in our hospital and we are treating others," he was quoted by PTI as saying.

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FP Staff