Mumbai:
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Let down: Yusuf Ali Zafar and his wife Ashroo Sheikh at their Behrampada home yesterday. PIC/Vedika Tripathi |
Yusuf Ali Mohammad Zafar (32) lost his right leg and his livelihood in the 1992 riots at Behrampada, Bandra. Almost 15 years after the incident, the man accused of perpetrating the violence, former Sena legislator Madhukar Sarpotdar, has been convicted by the special court and let off on bail immediately.
"If he was arrested for one minute and got bail after that, what is the point in arresting him? He is big man and can afford to escape even after destroying the lives of so many families. We don't even have the energy to cry," said Ashroo Sheikh (30), Zafar's wife.
That day, Zafar was closing his ironing shop around 11.30 pm, when he was shot in the ankle by some rioters. "Tear gas was being shot by the police. People were just running aimlessly and did not know where to go," said Zafar.
An injured Zafar was ferried from one hospital to another. Eventually, he was admitted to KEM Hospital, where his leg was amputated.
"I could not bear the stench emanating from my leg. I was not even asked for my consent before my leg was amputated," said Zafar.
No compensation"After the riots, I was supposed to get Rs 50,000 as compensation, but I have received only Rs 5,000 till date," he added.
The situation worsened three months after the riots. They had no food to eat and no place to stay. "I had to beg to feed my family and we had to sleep on the streets," said Ashroo. The family says they need the money. "I cannot marry my daughter because I have no money. We pleaded before several community leaders, but none of them came to help us," said Ashroo.
