It?s Id, but this family fears ?Shaitan?

WHILE OTHERS in Sadar locality were visiting each other exchanging wishes on Id, over two-dozen members of three families were not allowed to step out of their houses.

WHILE OTHERS in Sadar locality were visiting each other exchanging wishes on Id, over two-dozen members of three families were not allowed to step out of their houses.

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These three houses are under siege by a platoon of PAC, one guard, cops from Cantonment police station led by two sub-inspectors (S-Is) and the crime branch sleuths since October 11.

Reason: Hardcore criminal Salim, lodged in Lucknow District Jail, escaped from police custody on October 10, 2006. Salim and his brothers had brutally killed three members (Wasim, Karamat and Sakir alias Lal Mohammad) of these families on the eve of Id in 2005. No sooner the news about Salim’s escape reached the families of slain persons than they stopped stepping out of their houses.

Sensing threat from Salim, the police personnel deployed around houses of the victims had restricted movement of people around 100 yards of the affected places in the locality since Monday evening. The restriction was not lifted even till late on Tuesday night. No outsider is allowed to move into the lanes leading to the houses of the victims.

Wasim’s cousin Iqbal Ahmed alias Babu, who along with Nasir and Fareed, are facing immense threat from Salim, broke down while talking to the HT Live. He said all male members of the three families have put locks on their shops (all run meat shops in different parts of the city) since Salim fled from custody. None of the family members even step out of their houses since then. Boys and girls of the families are not going to school, Babu lamented.

When inquired if they celebrated Eid, he replied, “hum kuch log sirf paas wali masjid mein namaz ada karne gaye they wo bhi puri police team ke saath. Tabse ghar se hi nahi nikle.” (We had gone to offer prayers in nearby mosque that too with complete police security. We did not move out of the house since then.

Babu further said their relatives, who live in other parts of the city, too avoid visiting them since they heard about Salim’s escape. A very few of them visited them on Eid. All members of three families kept sitting under roof since Monday night to Tuesday evening.

“Hum sabhi log bohot buri tarah dare huein hain. Salim kabhi bhi attack kar sakta hai”. (We are extremely terrified. Salim could attack them anytime).

Senior police officials too have no option but to ensure affected families for foolproof security and action against Salim soon.