Pune Man's Brother Fought In Kargil War. He Was Told To Prove Citizenship
Hakimuddin Sheikh, from Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh, fought for his country in Kargil.
But at midnight Saturday a mob of 80 men from a Hindutva group - allegedly accompanied by two police personnel in plains clothes - forced its way into his brother Irshad Sheikh's Pune home and accusing him and frightened women and children of being Bangladeshi citizens.
They demanded 'proof' of the family's Indian roots, he said. He also said the men who later claimed they were policemen - when they allegedly tried to strongarm him - did nothing.
Sheikh said their Aadhaar cards were eventually verified and he was urged not to complain about the harassment. The police are trying to "pressure us..." he told news agency PTI.
A complaint was, nevertheless, filed, but no action has been taken so far, Sheikh told PTI.
'Been Indians For 400 Years'
"My older brother lives in UP but two other brothers and I, with their children, have been living here (i.e., Pune's Chandan Nagar neighbourhood) for many decades," he told reporters.
He said the mob banged on the front door at midnight. "When we opened the door some barged in and started demanding to see our Aadhaar cards. We showed the documents... but they called it 'fake' and asked the women and children to also show their Aadhaar cards."
CCTV footage from outside the house does show a large number of men gathered outside, but not all of their faces are visible. One man can seen covering his face with a hooded jacket.
Irshad Sheikh said he tried explaining to the mob that his family had been residents of the neighbourhood 60 years and that his older brother and two uncles had served in the Army.
Hakimuddin Sheikh retired in 2000 as a Havildar in the Engineers Corp and, according to Irshad Sheikh, an uncle was injured, and awarded a medal of valour, in the 1971 war with Pakistan.
Another uncle fought in the 1965 war and our Indian roots go back 400 years, he said
"But they were in no mood to listen. They hurled abuses and accused us of being Bangladeshis. I told them if they want to investigate, they are welcome to do so... but barging into someone's house and forcing children to show documents at midnight is not appropriate," he said.
Irshad Sheikh also claimed men in the mob started shouting 'Jai Shri Ram' and that the two who claimed to be cops then tried to force family members to go to the police station.
Aadhaar Cards Genuine
Sheikh eventually relented and family members went to the local police station, where, he said, their Aadhaar cards were confiscated and they were made to wait for two hours.
"After making us wait for two hours, the woman officer told us to visit again the next day... and warned that if we fail to do so, we would be declared Bangladeshi nationals," he said.
Sheikh said he returned the next day. The Aadhaar cards were quickly handed over and "we were asked not to make an issue out of the incident and not file any complaint", he said.
"Since our documents are genuine... they are now asking us to stay quiet!"
Hakimuddin Sheikh also spoke to PTI. He said, "We have been living in Pune for 50 years. While in Pune, my uncle, Mohammad Salim, was recruited into the Army. What happened with my family was wrong and, if needed, I will speak to the police and seek an explanation."
Police Response
Deputy Commissioner of Police Somay Munde has dismissed Irshad Sheikh's statements and protests, saying there were no incidents involving a large mob forcing its way into the home.
He did, however, admit some police personnel had been sent to verify documents.
"The drive against Bangladeshi nationals living in Pune illegally is underway... we received information and went to the house to verify it. Since it was night time, only some male members were asked to accompany the police to the station and, as it was late, they were asked to come back the next day. Prima facie, no illegality was found in their documents," he declared.
The police team that visited the house has video footage of the incident, he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
3 minutes ago
- Economic Times
US' new tariff list: India at 25%, exports to get hit, competitors in lower band
Synopsis Effective August 7, 2025, the US has imposed a blanket 25% tariff on all Indian-origin goods, placing India among the most harshly treated nations in its new tariff regime. This measure, part of a new Executive Order, denies India product-level exemptions, even for critical sectors like pharmaceuticals and electronics. Agencies US' new tariff list New Delhi: In a move that could dent India's exports to US, Washington has imposed a blanket 25% tariff on all Indian-origin goods, effective August 7, measure, part of a new Executive Order issued by US President Donald Trump on July 31, places India among the most harshly treated countries in the new American tariff regime, offering no product-level exemptions even for sectors deemed critical like pharmaceuticals, energy, and Order mentions that tariffs may be reduced once countries do a deal with the per the order, countries have been subject to tariffs ranging from 10% to over 41% with differential rates based on geopolitical risk, economic alignment, and trade said the new order puts India at disadvantage to majority competitors including Pakistan, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Turkey where the tariffs are 15-20%. 'India's exports of petroleum products, smartphones, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, electronics, and textiles will bear the brunt of the tariffs,' said a representative of an export promotion penalty threatened by Trump on India for doing business with Russia has not yet been US, Wednesday, announced 25% tariffs on India along with undisclosed penalty on trading with Russia.'The implications of the recent development are being examined by the government. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry is engaged with all stakeholders including exporters and industry for taking feedback of their assessment of the situation,' commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said in his statement in Parliament US was India's largest export destination in FY25 with shipments valued at $86.51 billion. But it accounted for less than a fifth of its total goods exports of $437.42 per the Order, unlike many other trading partners, India has been denied all product-level exemptions—even for products and sectors, the US exempted Goods from other tariff exempted categories include finished pharmaceutical drugs, APIsand other key drug inputs; energy products, critical minerals and a wide range of electronics and EU has been granted a special concession in which if the existing US most favoured nation (MFN) tariff on an EU product is below 15%, the total tariff will be increased to 15%. However, if the MFN tariff is already 15% or higher, then no additional duty will be charged.A 10% tariff applies to a few countries—Brazil, the UK, and the Falkland 15% tariff, which is the most common, covers 38 countries. Countries facing higher tariffs (25-30%) include India, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and and Serbia at 35%, Switzerland at 39% (unusually high for a developed nation), Laos and Myanmar at 40%, and Syria at 41%, the US Customs Border Protection authority will realise a guidance clarifying on how this measure will be applied.
Economic Times
3 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Not only Bengalis, every citizen has right to go anywhere in India, says economist Amartya Sen
Wading into the political slugfest over the alleged harassment of Bengali migrant workers in other parts of the country, noted economist Amartya Sen said every citizen of India has the freedom to go wherever they want, and any effort to curb that must be objected to. Speaking to reporters at his ancestral home in Santiniketan, Sen said it doesn't matter whether a person is a Bengali, Punjabi or a Marwari, the freedom to go wherever he wants and speak whichever language he wants is his constitutional right. "An Indian citizen has the right of movement in the entire country. There is no mention of territorial rights anywhere in our Constitution," he said."Every citizen of India has the right to be happy. We have to respect everyone...," he said on Thursday, responding to a question from reporters on the issue that has rocked the state. Sen said if Bengalis are being tortured and neglected, it must be objected to. "It is not a question of Bengal alone, but the whole country," he added."The language that was integrated with 'Charyapad' (Bangla), its value must be acknowledged. Various poems have been written in that language. The messages of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam have been laid out very clearly in their works. These values must be acknowledged," he TMC has been raising its voice over the last one month, alleging that Bengali-speaking people, especially poor Muslim migrant workers, are being harassed in BJP-ruled states and being branded illegal Bangladeshi Minister Mamata Banerjee has led a mega rally in Kolkata over the issue last month, and also started 'Bhasa Andolan', sharpening her attack on the BJP. The BJP, on the other hand, has dismissed the allegations, claiming that the TMC did not think about the welfare of migrant workers over the last 14 years, and was now raising the issue with an eye on next year's assembly elections in the state.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
5 minutes ago
- First Post
Indian imports bill could rise buy $14 billion after stopping Russian oil imports
If India were to stop buying Russian crude oil, Indian imports bill could rise by up to $14 billion as a result of expensive imports from elsewhere. But the true impact on India —and Western nations as well— could be larger as India's purchase of Russian oil has kept international prices low so far. read more Fuga Bluemarine crude oil tanker lies at anchor near the terminal Kozmino in Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia. India's imports bill could rise by up to $14 billion after stopping Russian crude oil imports. In addition to slapping India with 25 per cent tariff, US President Donald Trump has threatened additional penalties over the trade with Russia, mainly the purchase of Russian oil — India has bought discounted Russian oil since Russia launched the war on Ukraine in 2022. The true cost of India replacing Russian oil imports in the wake of Trump's threats would be much higher than $14 billion for India and the world. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The true cost of replacing Russian oil for India — and the world India stopping the purchase of Russian oil could raise the price of oil by up to $10 per barrel, raising the country's import bill by around $13-14 billion, according to Prashant Vasisht, the Senior Vice President and Co-Group Head of Corporate Ratings at ICRA. Vasisht suggested the true cost could be higher as prices of gas and other petroleum products and derivatives will also rise. 'Additionally, domestic gas and LNG imports linked to dated Brent prices would also become dearer thereby impacting all gas consumers such as fertiliser, city gas distribution etc. A $10/barrel increase in Brent prices could increase the cost of LNG purchased annually under the RasGas contract by Rs 3,900 crore,' Vasisht told The Financial Express. Between May 2022-2025, India saved around $17.2 billion with the purchase of discounted Russian oil, according to ICRA's calculations. However, that may now change — and not just for India. With the purchase of discounted Russian oil, India and China have so far stabilised oil prices in the international market by absorbing Russian over-supply and easing the pressure on global prices. But, if and when India would stop importing Russian oil, the competition for non-Russian oil would rise and prices will rise as demand will rise in proportion to supply. Western nations will also feel the pinch. Firstly, prices of oil will also rise for them owing to greater demand and limited supply of non-Russian oil. Secondly, since 2022, Indian refiners had been processing Russian crude and selling finished products to Western nations at cheaper rates. As such discounted purchases would end, their bills will rise as well.
