I’m a watch seller, not terror suspect’

BENGALURU: Standing outside Upparpet police station where he had come to file a complaint, Riyaz Ahmed, 60, was full of questions arising from fear.
“Can you imagine the trauma my wife and children are facing? What if something goes wrong? What if someone attacks me? I’m the breadwinner of my 10-member family, who’ll care for them?” he asked.
Ahmed, a resident of Gangondanahalli in Chandra Layout, said his photograph is being wrongly aired by television channels as a ‘terror suspect’ seen at Majestic Metro station.
A wristwatch seller on the pavements of Gandhinagar, Ahmed is the father of seven children, including four girls.
Some of the children are married and live elsewhere. Besides his wife and kids, Ahmed’s sister-in-law and aunt live with him in a two-bedroom rented accommodation.
On Monday, Ahmed had passed the security check counter at the Metro station just 30 seconds before the man who refused to undergo a security check after the metal detector beeped during his body scan.
On Wednesday morning, two vernacular TV channels beamed Ahmed’s picture, saying he’s the “terror suspect”. Ahmed learned about this from a neighbour.
“Since it is Ramzan, there were a few relatives and friends at home. When my neighbour told me about this, I switched on the TV and was shocked to see the news. I was projected as a terror suspect. Worse, the news readers explained that I have come to the city to do something similar to what happened in Sri Lanka,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed, who has been selling watches for three decades now, says he was born and raised in the same area. “I’ve made my living here and will die here. This is my motherland and I never thought one day I’ll be projected as a terror suspect,” he said.
His wife and sister-in-law broke down after watching the news, and are scared that the public will attack him. While they asked him to stay indoors, Ahmed felt it’s important that he meet police and explain things. “I didn’t want a black mark,” he said. Ahmed met deputy commissioner of police (west) Ravi D Channananavar and filed a complaint, accusing TV channels and Metro officials of defaming him. “I request you to initiate legal action against channels for airing false and derogatory news and Metro staff for sharing my CCTV footage with them,” he stated.
Channananavar said he’ll consult seniors before taking the case forward. “We’ve received the complaint. But no FIR has been registered,” he said.
Shocked to watch news
Since it is Ramzan, there were some relatives and friends at home. When my neighbour told me about this, I switched on the TV and was shocked to watch the news. I was projected as a terror suspect. Worse, the news readers explained that I have come to the city to do something similar to what happened in Sri Lanka
Riyas Ahmed | WATCH SELLER
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