The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) handed over a cheque of ₹11 lakh to a retired Head Constable whose house was looted and burnt down when a wave of communal violence convulsed the northeast part of Delhi from February 23-25.
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Aish Mohammad (58) said that on the evening of February 25 his three-storeyed house in Bhagirathi Vihar was surrounded by around 250 men and some of them were armed.
“They pelted stones, fired gunshots and threw petrol bombs at the house. I was trapped in the house with my son. Panditji, my neighbour, and his wife, tried to reason with the mob. They were pushed away. The mob then looted and burnt the entire house,” Mr. Mohammad, who took voluntary retirement from the CRPF in 2001, told The Hindu .
‘Overwhelmed’
Mr. Mohammad said that after the NDTV TV news channel aired his story, CRPF Commandant P. K. Johri contacted him and gave him ₹20,000 as immediate relief.
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On Wednesday, Mr. Mohammad was taken to the CRPF headquarters where Director General (DG) A. P. Maheshwari felicitated him and handed over the cheque.
“I feel proud that even so many years after my retirement, my department cares for me. The DG even hugged me. I was overwhelmed,” he said.
“The CRPF stands committed to the welfare of its personnel and their families. This act is a gesture to say that all serving and retired personnel of the force are our family,” CRPF Spokesperson Deputy Inspector General Moses Dhinakaran said.
Called police
When the incident took place, the other members of Mr. Mohammad’s family had gone to attend a wedding at Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh.
Mr. Mohammad said he made three calls to the police but no one came. “When the mob set the ground floor on fire, we ran towards the terrace. Sensing trouble we jumped on to the terrace of an adjacent building and fled for our lives. Had we not fled, they would have killed us,” he recounted. He said a motorcycle and a scooter parked outside his house were also set alight.
He said said the area in which he lives is a mixed neighbourhood.
“Hindus and Muslims have been living here peacefully. The mob was comprised mostly of outsiders. They would have got some help from the local criminals,” he said.
