Muzaffarnagar Victim Leaves Behind Pregnant Wife, Little Finances

Video Producer: Debayan Dutta
Video Editor: Vishal Kumar

In the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests which flared across Uttar Pradesh, Muzaffarnagar district was one of the worst hit in the state, where several protesters, including over a dozen policemen, were injured and vehicles were set ablaze in violent protests.

The Quint went to Western Khalapar in Muzaffarnagar where 26-year-old Noor Mohammed died due to a bullet injury in the violence at the protests. He was admitted to a hospital in Muzaffarnagar soon after he was injured, from where he was referred to a hospital in Meerut, where he was declared dead.

Survived by his children and a pregnant wife, Mohammed’s family wanted to bring his mortal remains back to Muzaffarnagar, but were allegedly disallowed by the authorities to do so. The family alleged that they haven’t received the post-mortem report. He was buried in a cemetary near Meerut.

“He was coming back after reading Namaz. He parked the car of which he was a chauffeur. He took Rs 50 from his employer to come home and that’s when he was shot,” Mohammad Chand, the victim’s father-in-law told The Quint.

‘Didn’t Know Such a Tragedy Will Befall After Reading Namaz’: Victim’s Widow

Noor Mohammed’s widow, who her father said is 5-6 months pregnant, told The Quint that all she and her children want is justice.

“When he went to read the Namaz with everyone else, I did not know that such a tragedy will befall him. My child and I demand justice. I have little kids and I need to raise them. I don’t want anything else,” she said.

While Noor Mohammed’s family isn’t around much, with one of his brothers living abroad, the family isn’t financially secure either.

“I am poor, I have 5-6 daughters of my own. What do I do? I have only one son. You can get me justice, that's my only request to you. I am very poor. I want justice, for myself and my daughter,” the widow’s father said.

“They don’t have water supply, so they draw water from their neighbours. They don't have toilets either, so the women use their neighbour’s toilet. They have no support,” Noor Mohammed’s brother-in-law said.

‘Police Didn’t Let Us Bury Him in Muzaffarnagar’

After succumbing to the injury at a hospital in Meerut, the family alleged that the police did not allow them to bring Noor Mohammed back to Muzaffarnagar, insisted that he be buried in Meerut and made arrangements for the same.

“We took him to Meerut where the police stopped us. They asked us to bury him there and leave. We requested them to let us take his mortal remains with us back to Muzaffarnagar. They denied our request, saying that we will be held responsible for the resulting violence and riots, and that we will be arrested because we are his relatives. We became nervous,” Noor Mohammed’s uncle told The Quint.

“We buried him in a Daurala. They told us that we have to bury him in Daurala only. We told them that there would be no arrangements there. When we went there, inside the jungle, to the cemetery, we saw that all arrangements had been made. There was water and a grave had already been dug out,” he added.

Police Denies Firing the Bullet that Killed Noor Mohammed

Refusing to divulge many details on the matter, Muzaffarnagar City SP Satpal said that he can speak only after getting the post-mortem report, but categorically denied that the bullet had been fired by the police.

“There was a death and the shot was fired by someone in the mob. Not a single bullet was fired by the police. The death was caused by the mob. From what we know, the victim was taken to Meerut for treatment, but he was brought dead. The post-mortem
was done in front of his whole family. The body was handed over to them and he was buried in Daurala with the proper rituals performed,” he said.

“They had asked us to collect the post-mortem report from the police officers. The authorities who came from here took the report away before it could reach us. I have not received the post-mortem report yet. I will get back to you once I see it,” he told The Quint.