Relatives mourn the death of the brothers. (Express photo: Gajendra Yadav)
Gali No. 16 in Old Mustafabad has been silent for the last two days. The lane, which earlier reverberated with the sounds of five brothers and their families, has turned into a grieving ground after two of them, Mohd Aamir (30) and Hashim (19), died during in riots in Northeast Delhi.
On Wednesday, Hashim called his family at 9.30 pm and said they will reach home in five minutes. Minutes later, his phone was switched off.
The brothers were returning to Mustafabad on a bike when they were attacked by a mob on February 26. A day later, their bodies were fished out of a drain.
The eldest brother, Sheruddin, reached GTB hospital on Thursday and broke down as he saw his brothers’ bodies lying inside the mortuary.
The five brothers — Sheruddin, Aamir, Nasir, Mohsin and Hashim— used to live together with their parents in Old Mustafabad. While Aamir worked as a driver, Hashim had recently started working with Sheruddin in a jeans factory.
“There were stab wounds on their faces, and their heads were hit. After both of them did not return home on Wednesday, we became worried and started making calls to their friends. We even went to the spot from where Hashim called us before they went missing. On Thursday, police told us two bodies have been taken out of drains. We lost all hope then,” said Sheruddin. Aamir is survived by two daughters — aged 4 and 2. His wife, Shamina (27), has refuses to accept the news.
Relatives said she has not been keeping well since Thursday. Their father Babu (55), who works as a tailor, is overcome with grief: “Bete chale gaye hamare, kaun zimmedari lega (Who will take the responsibility of my sons, who are no more?)