Delhi family that helped ‘Pakistani terrorist’ get Aadhaar fears witch-hunt

Since the police broke the news that the alleged Pakistani terrorist used their address to procure his Indian ID, Uzaib and his family members were afraid that they may have to face consequences for keeping a Pakistani citizen at their house

Twenty-three-old Uzaib Ahmed was busy stitching garments along with his father and brother at their factory on the ground floor of their house in Aaram Park near Geeta Colony in east Delhi, when on Tuesday noon, some journalists arrived and started asking them about an alleged Pakistani terrorist, who the police claimed, lived at their house as a tenant some years ago.

The lane in Aaram Park where Ashraf lived before settling in Laxmi Nagar. (HT Photo)

Initially, Uzaib and his family members were baffled because the journalists were asking about Ali, and at least three tenants having the same surname lived at their house in the last six-seven years. It was only when the journalist showed Uzaib a photograph of the alleged terrorist, Mohammad Ashraf, that he identified him and admitted that his father, Naseem Ahmed, helped Ashraf get an Aadhar card at their address.

Ashraf lived at their house under the name of Ali Ahmed Noor, Uzaib said.

“I don’t know the entire details but my father helped him (Ali) get his Aadhar card, as he carried other identification documents (IDs). We did not know his real identity and nationality. Ali came to us through a reference. He lived at our house for nearly a year and then moved out. He lived alone and nobody ever visited him. He told us that he worked at a private company in Ramesh Park, near Laxmi Nagar,” said Uzaib.

Since the police broke the news that the alleged Pakistani terrorist used their address to procure his Indian ID, Uzaib and his family members were afraid that they may have to face consequences for keeping a Pakistani citizen at their house, and helping him obtaining an Aadhar card.

“We closed our factory as we could not face the questions from journalists, and our neighbours were looking at us as if we were guilty. My husband is stressed. We fear that the police would trouble us, specially our two sons. I don’t understand what crime we have committed,” said Uzaib’s mother, who did not share her name.

The family members said Ashraf stayed in an 8x10 feet room on the first floor of their house, and paid ₹700 as monthly rent. He left the room in the morning for work and returned late in the evening.

Several residents of Aaram Park refused to speak on the matter, saying that they did not know Ashraf personally or remember seeing him living there.

The police said Ashraf was arrested from Gali Number 10 in Ramesh Park, near Laxmi Nagar that has several garment stores apart from residential buildings where migrants, mostly students or those working in private companies, live as tenants. HT spoke to many people in the neighbourhood but nobody was aware of any such arrest on Monday.