Muslim man saved Hindu neighbour during violence

NEW DELHI: It was a night of horror for Aftab Ahmed who lost his shop and house during the Delhi riots that engulfed the North-east area From February 23 to February 25.

Aftab Ahmed who lives in Shiv Vihar Tiraya area lost his small shop of handicrafts and his house, which was attached to the shop.

“It was the most frightening night of my life,” he said recalling. Ahmed along with his family was stuck inside his house for hours as two violent mobs clashed with each other outside his house.

Ahmed's neighbour is a Hindu, who had a mechanic and parking shop, but now is nothing but debris.

“I have this shop on rent, what am I going to do now,” said Ram Kumar. He said that it was in the evening that a mob attacked his area, after which heavy stone pelting started.

“I rushed and hid in my shop. For about eight hours I was hiding here, which is when my Muslim brother saved me,” he said.

Ahmed, who was still shocked by the aftermath of violence got emotional as he saw his house, which was totally destroyed.

“I just got this one chance, when I along with my family opened the gates and literally ran barefoot together,” he said. Kumar on the other hand has said that these violence will create no bad blood between both the communities. “Don't we all know it was political?,” he asked.

Ahmed, meanwhile, has taken refuge in Chaman Park with his relatives.

“I don't think I will come back here for a while, as the mahaul is tensed and I don't want my family's life to be affected,” he said, as he looked around the destruction.

Shiv Vihar Tiraya is one of the most hit areas, where shops and houses were targeted and attacked. Families lost loved ones, while many were injured. In Mahalaxmi Enclave, a coaching institute was lit on fire. In a three-story building, the ground floor was a furniture shop owned by a Muslim.

“The building is owned by a Hindu family, they had given the shop on rent to a Muslim guy,” said Om Prakash, whose shop on the first floor was burnt.

He said that even though the area was not attacked as Hindu families lived here, Muslim shops were targeted and attacked. “Never have we seen such kind of riots in our lives,” said Prakash.

People also believe that the death toll is expected to rise, as many eye witness saw numerous people whose bodies were thrown into the drain.