'Activists of an outfit stormed into our house, asked us to prove nationality'

The family members of a 1999 Kargil War veteran in Pune have alleged that a group of around 80 people affiliated to a outfit barged into their house and demanded a proof of their Indian citizenship accusing them of being BangladeshisThe incident took place in the Chandannagar area of the city on Saturday around midnight the family claimed adding that some police personnel in plain clothes were also present at that time but they remained mute spectatorsIrshad Shaikh 48 said his elder brother Hakimuddin who now stays in Uttar Pradeshs Pratapgarh served in the Indian Army and fought in the Kargil WarHakimuddin retired as a havildar from the Engineers Regiment a year after the conflict reported news agency PTIWhile my elder brother lives in Uttar Pradesh I along with my two brothers and their children have been living in Punes Chandannagar area for the last many decades he saidOn Saturday midnight around 80 people suddenly reached their house and banged the door ldquoWhen we opened it some of them barged in and started demanding Aadhaar cards of the family members When we showed the documents they termed them as fake and asked the women and children to produce Aadhaar cardsrdquo Shaikh allegedHe said that they tried to explain to the group that the family had been residing there for the past six decades and that apart from his elder brother two of his uncles had also served in the armyMy uncle was injured in the 1971 war after a bomb explosion and was awarded for his valour Another uncle fought alongside Abdul Hameed during the IndoPak War of 1965 he addedHowever the members of the group hurled abuses and accused the family of being Bangladeshis claimed ShaikhldquoI told them that if they want to investigate they are welcome to do so but barging into someones house hurling abuses and forcing children to show documents at midnight was not appropriate he said further claiming that when the group began chanting religious slogans and tried to forcibly take the family to the police station two individuals accompanying them identified themselves as cops However the two men who claimed to be police stood by silently and did not do anything Shaikh further allegedAfter they reached the Chandannagar Police Station a woman inspector took their documents and asked them to wait outsideAfter making us wait for two hours the officer told us to visit again the next day and warned that if we fail to do so we would be declared Bangladeshi nationals Shaikh saidHe added that they visited the police station again the following dayWe were asked not to make an issue out of the incident and not to file any complaint Police are now trying to pressure us and show that no one barged into our house Shaikh who works in the transport sector saidIf there were any discrepancies in the documents the police would have taken a coercive action he said adding But since all our documents are genuine they are now asking us to stay quietrdquoHe informed the officers that they could provide a proof of their Indian citizenship dating back to 400 yearsShaikh said they then approached social activist Rahul Dambale who helped them contact a senior police officer The officer assured action in the matter but even after three to four days no steps have been taken he allegedReacting to the incident Hakimuddin who served in the Engineers Regiment told PTI said We have been living in Pune for over 50 years While living in Pune my uncle Mohammad Salim was recruited into the Indian Army What happened with my family was wrong and if needed I will speak to the police and seek an explanationrdquoHowever Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone 4 Somay Munde asserted that while no such incident involving a large group barging into Shaikhs house took place some police personnel did visit the place to verify their documentsThe drive against illegal Bangladeshi nationals is underway in the city Under this drive police received some information and went to the house to verify it Since it was night no women were brought to the police station and only some male members were asked to accompany the police As it was late they were asked to come back the next day Prima facie no illegality was found in their documents Munde saidThe police team that visited the house has video footage of the inquiry he addedMeanwhile Dambale president of the National Conference for Minority said the Hindutva outfit members tried to terrorise the war veterans family membersWe have sought registration of an FIR in this connection We will meet Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar to demand action he saidWith PTI inputs