'Don't have much hope': Brother of Mohsin Shaikh, Pune techie lynched in 2014, says family still waiting for justice
Published on: Jun 02, 2019
Written By: Parth MN
Source: https://www.firstpost.com/india/dont-have-much-hope-brother-of-mohsin-shaikh-pune-techie-lynched-in-2014-says-family-still-waiting-for-justice-6739961.html
On 2 June, 2014, 24-year-old Mohsin
Shaikh was murdered, allegedly by members of the Hindu Rashtra Sena. It has
been five years, but the family of the Pune techie has still not received
justice. Those accused in his murder are out on bail and the family say the
promises made to them by the authorities remain unfulfilled.
Frustrated by the system, Mohsin’s
younger brother Mubin and his colleagues have planned a silent protest march in
Solapur (from where they originally hail). “We have our banners ready,” said
Mubin in a telephonic interview. “For two years, the government has not even
named the public prosecutor after Ujjwal Nikam recused himself. The case is
languishing.”
Mohsin,
grandson of a postman, had just cleared the second round of interviews at Wipro
before being murdered. Mohsin and his roommate were returning home from namaaz. At the time,
morphed pictures of Shivaji Maharaj and Bal Thackeray had gone viral on
Facebook. Outraged, members of the Hindu Rashtra Sena allegedly went on a
rampage, vandalising cars and buses. A few of them allegedly cornered Mohsin
and thrashed him with hockey sticks. For an hour, no bystanders intervened or
helped the bloodied Mohsin. His roommate called Mubin, who took Mohsin to
the hospital. Mohsin was declared dead the same night.
The incident occurred within a week
of Narendra Modi’s first term as prime minister. Mohsin was the first victim of
mob lynching under the new government. Two years before his death,
Mohsin’s father had to shut down the Xerox shop he started in 1985.
Mohsin was well aware of the family problems. Once he settled in Pune, Mubin
joined him. “Along with Mohsin, I started working in marketing in Pune,” said
Mubin. “We sent one salary back home, and the other we used for our expenses in
Pune. For the first time in a few years, it seemed like the family was stable.”
When the Minority Commission from the Centre met Mohsin’s father in August 2014, it asked him his demands and vowed to fulfill them. “I asked for a fast track court to ensure justice within a year, and a government job for my younger son, Mubin... Rs 50 lakh as compensation, and a ban on Hindu Rashtra Sena," Sadiq told Firstpost in July 2018, adding that he has had to seek financial assistance from two of his friends. "I have spent more than Rs 50,000 pursuing the case."
Mohsin Shaikh's parents with his brother Mubin in July 2018. Firstpost/Parth MN
In December 2018, Sadiq, a diabetic,
passed away.
None of those demands have been
fulfilled. Mubin said a few weeks after promising him a job, the family
received a letter backtracking on the promise. “It said we cannot give you a
job because there is no Government Resolution in that regard,” said Mubin. “My
father would constantly run from pillar to post to seek justice, and follow up
on the promises made to us. My biggest regret is he could not see Mohsin get
justice.”
Mubin said his father would talk
about Mohsin and the case all the time. “He was keen to see that through,” he
said. “It would have been a closure for him. But the case did take a toll on
his health. My mother was depressed. Now, she is even lonelier.”
After Mohsin’s death, Mubin quit his
job in Pune, and shifted back to Solapur to be with the family. “Since the
government did not give me any job, my hunt continues,” said Mubin. “I worked
as a sales executive at a private dealership. But it shut down. There are not
many opportunities in Solapur. But I will stay here because I cannot leave my
family now, and my mother gets scared if I talk about going back to Pune.”
Having grown up in a colony in
Solapur where only two of 34 households were Muslims, Sadiq earlier said they
never thought it would come to this. “I never felt marginalised,” he'd
remarked. “This is my country. I will never let myself believe that I am a
second-class citizen of India."
The only time the family has had a
semblance of happiness in the past five years was when Mubin got married and
had a daughter. But that too proved to be short-lived. Within three days of her
birth, the infant passed away. “We lost three members of the family in five years,”
said Mubin. “We are struggling to make our ends meet. On the other hand, my
brother’s killers are out on bail. They were welcomed with resounding applause,
and paraded in Pune after they were released. I do not have much hope of
getting justice.”
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