Sajid punished for following religion, is innocent: Family

Delhi police special cell officers escort three terror operatives after they were produced at Patiala House courts in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Photo: Bunny Smith)

Family of the alleged mastermind of the Jaish-e-Mohammad module, smashed by the Delhi police’s special cell, has vehemently denied all charges against the 19-year-old, who was detained early on Wednesday for his alleged involvement in terror activity.

“Our son was punished for following his religion. He offers prayers five times a day and wears a skull cap, that’s why he is in jail,” said the family members of Sajid Ahmed, who was among 12 youth detained by the police.

Locals claim there was no friendship between the eight men either arrested or detained for alleged terror links by the police from Chand Bagh area of Gokulpuri, east Delhi. Only point of interaction possible was Fatima Masjid, located in the same area and where all of them offered prayers.

The police, however, described Sajid Ahmed as the most “radicalised” among all of them.

Not just Sajid’s family, but their neighbours too, weighed in to dismiss the theories of radicalisation or IED manufacturing. “He was tilted towards religion, but is that a crime His bent was mainly confined to offering his prayers and telling others the good things about Islam and that was about it. He was occupied with his work of manufacturing brassieres in his shop most of the time,” said his sister Mehjabin. On the question of what the police has described as an IED explosion, Mehjabin and her mother Aamna both insisted there was no explosion. The neighbours too denied hearing any explosion. Regarding the injury on Sajid’s palm, Mehjabin said she had spilt hot milk over it.

Imam of the Fatima Masjid, where Sajid would go for his prayers, (he was outside the mosque when he was arrested on Tuesday night) said during gatherings, he and other religious leaders would deliver sermons preaching peaceful co-existence and it was not possible for any of the devotees to choose the path of violence.

However, family members of the 30-year-old software engineer, also arrested in the case, said not a single case was registered against their son. He was supposed to fly aboard for official work on Thursday.

“I wonder why our relative was held by the police. He keeps so busy with his official work that it is impossible for him to even think about such an activity,” a family member said.