BeyondHeadlines Special Correspondent
PUNE: Family members of 27-year-old Ajaz Sayeed Shaikh of Mominpura, who has been missing since February 15 this year, on Friday said that he may have left home due to debt of over Rs three lakh and not because of any case or his relation with Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Mohsin Chaudhary, as has been reported in some section of the media.
Ajaz’s father Sayeed Shaikh and mother Haleema along with some social organisations held a press conference in this regard at Patrakar Bhavan on Friday. They appealed Ajaz to return home and requested media to show restrain in reporting about him.
According to them, Ajaz’s sister married Chaudhary in 2001, who has been absconding since 2008. Chaudhary is wanted in 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blast case and February 13, 2010, German Bakery blast of Pune. “Since then we have not heard of Chaudhary nor he has contacted us. Meanwhile, Ajaz completed his B.Com and some computer courses. He worked with BPOs. He mixed with people from all religions and never had hatred against any. He was married about a year ago. He was fond of gadgets like mobile phones and branded clothes,” Sayeed said.
Seen from left to right are Pune action committee president Zahid Bhai, Chhawa Yuva Sanghatna’s Baba Saheb Patil, Haleema Shaikh, Sayeed Shaikh, Ramesh Rakshe, national secretary of ‘Bharat Mukti Morcha’ and Anjum Inamdar, president of Rashtrapremi Samiti
On February 15 this year, Ajaz left home around 11.30 am saying that he is going to Bangalore for a job interview with some friends. “He told me about the interview about two hours back before he left home saying he would return within 2-3 days. I didn’t object as he has been working and knows what is wrong and what is right. However, we got suspicious when he could not be reached on phone even after two days. His phone was out of coverage area. On February 18, my elder son enquired from his team leader at the BPO where he worked, and came to know he has been absent from the past three days. We contacted our relatives and his friends but there were also unaware of his whereabouts. Hence we lodged a missing complaint with Ghorpade Peth police chowky under Khadak police station on February 19. We also informed Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officials but nothing concrete came out in their enquiry also,” recalled Sayeed, who has been suffering from diabetes and thyroid.
About 20-25 days after Ajaz went missing, some banks’ loan recovery agents started coming his house. “From the agents we learnt that Ajaz had taken personal loan of Rs 2.3 lakh from HDFC bank, Rs 89,000 outstanding amount on HDFC credit card and Rs 16,000 outstanding amount on SBI credit card. He had also withdrawn Rs 14,000 cash from credit card in January 2013 saying his mother was ill, which is not true. We didn’t know that he has cheated banks as agents said that some cheque for installments were dishonoured in the past. At time of his marriage, he had taken loan of Rs 1.5 lakh from his friends, which I had repaid. Therefore, we believe that he left home due to these debts,” Sayeed explained the circumstances.
[box type=”shadow” align=”alignright” ]Chhawa Yuva Sanghatna’s Baba Saheb Patil said, “It has become return for the agencies and media to target Muslims, whenever there is a bomb blast. Over 500 terrorists (right wing Hindu) were trained at Sinhagad Fort but not even five of them have been arrested. Only poor Muslims are targeted. In the past courts in various parts of the country has acquitted several of them. Hindutva terrorists were involved in Malegaon, Thane and Goa blasts but there is no progress in their cases.”[/box] After three months of his missing complaint, some media started connecting him with Chaudhary. “Ajaz has no case against him. No court has convicted him in any terror case. Therefore, it is my humble request not to label him as a terrorist. By doing so you (media) are closing his door of return. Ask any residents in our area they will vouch for his innocence, it’s the media only who has problems with him. We want Ajaz to return. We will pay his debt as we have done in the past,” said Ajaz’s mother Haleema.
Lawyer M M Sayyed said, “We will issue legal notices to newspapers/media who have reported about Ajaz citing sources. We will ask them reveal these sources else we will file criminal cases in the court against them and also take up the matter with Press Council of India and News Broadcasting Standards Authority.”
Chhawa Yuva Sanghatna’s Baba Saheb Patil said, “It has become return for the agencies and media to target Muslims, whenever there is a bomb blast. Over 500 terrorists (right wing Hindu) were trained at Sinhagad Fort but not even five of them have been arrested. Only poor Muslims are targeted. In the past courts in various parts of the country has acquitted several of them. Hindutva terrorists were involved in Malegaon, Thane and Goa blasts but there is no progress in their cases.”
Ramesh Rakshe, national secretary of ‘Bharat Mukti Morcha’, said, “Had there been any case pending against Ajaz, police would not have registered missing complaint about him. We all want to know who are these ‘sources’ who are planting false allegations against him. They should come forward. Media should write for communal harmony and not otherwise.”
Anjum Inamdar, president of Rashtrapremi Samiti, said, “We appeal media to show restrain while reporting about Ajaz. By labelling him a terrorist without any proof, media is tarnishing his image in the society. He has a family who are already disturbed by his disappearance.”
