"I just know the story."
Neighbors say he lived here on rent. He used to sell chicken soup but ran away in fear of the police. Delhi Police PRO Saman Nalwa has denied all the allegations.
He said: "Some people had filed a petition in the High Court alleging that the police were harassing the people.
The court found nothing in the petition and dismissed it. In addition, some anti-government and anti-police people are doing propaganda.
They stop us from doing our job and then say the police are not doing anything. He had been selling soup in Jehangirpuri for many years but now for many days his wheelbarrow has been tied with iron chains in the street and there is no one to take care of him.
The April 16 violence in Jahangirpuri terrified many Muslims living in the area and forced them to flee their homes.
After the Jahangirpuri violence, many Muslims living here are leaving their homes and work.
To find out the real reason, our team reached the same area of Jehangir Puri where sectarian violence took place in April. After entering Jahangirpuri, there is a main intersection about a kilometer away.
There is a mosque 200 meters to the left of the intersection and there is a temple except for a few shops. There was racial violence on the road on April 16 during Hanuman Jayanti and two days later the MCD took action to remove illegal structures.
A month and a half after the incident, the floors in front of shops and houses are still in a state of disrepair. People have started building their own small shops again. Police have removed roadblocks, but their patrols have increased significantly.
We saw police vehicles patrolling the area several times. Going straight from the main intersection is the C block on the left and behind it the slums begin. Crossing the narrow streets, we reached the slums. People living in the slums look at everyone from outside with suspicion.
Apart from the clothes, the eyes of the locals are also fixed on the shoes of the person coming from outside. People say that policemen come in plain clothes but we recognize them by their shoes.
Some locals agreed to speak, but declined to give their names. They are afraid that the police will start harassing them too. Farooq, who lives in Jahangirpuri, says police have arrested many people in the name of interrogation.
Many Muslim families living in the area are fleeing their homes due to the police operation. Many homes have been locked for a month.
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| safia bibi |
Inside the slums, Safia Begum lives in a narrow alley. His story also revolves around police action. Safia Begum's son had left home with his wife and children about a month ago.
The room is locked and his scooter is parked outside the house covered with a layer of dust. He had lived in Jahangirpuri since his childhood. He left the area with his family about 20 days ago.
His mother Safia still resides here. "The police are looking for my son," she said. On June 1, four people came home looking for my son. The four, who were in plain clothes, were posing as Delhi Police.
I told them I didn't know anything about my son. " Safia's second son Jahangir lives in Puri. Her family is also scared.
His wife says the police come twice a week to search. This time they were asking for ration cards. We didn't give anything. Even the mother does not know when the son will return.
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| Safia Begum's son's house |
After Safia, we met directly. "I fled here on April 17, a day after the sectarian violence," Mastiq said. I came back two days ago. I was hiding in my friend's house.
The police are torturing everyone. Some of my friends have been stopped by the police and some are harassing me.After Mastiq we met Sharifa Begum.
Ten days ago, police arrested Sharifa Begum's 19-year-old son. "My son was having dinner," says Sharifa. Six plainclothes policemen came and took him away. They kept my son with them for two days. " Sharifa's son works as a janitor. Sharifa's three eldest sons live in West Bengal.
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| Sharifa begum |
Sharifa says that the police came back on June 1 and told them to present their eldest son or else they would break into the house. My eldest son has been living in West Bengal for the last eight months.
He was not here on the day of the violence. I have a young daughter, whenever the police come. We are afraid they will take everyone. We are very worried. '
This is the story of many families like Safia and Sharifa who have been living in Jahangirpuri for the last several decades. The men or boys of these families are leaving Jahangirpuri.
Where are people going from Jahangirpuri?
Most Muslim families in Jehangirpuri live in East Madnapur, Haldia in and around West Bengal. Decades ago, the family came to Delhi in search of work, and over time, they made Jahangir Puri their home.
Most of the families living here work in scrap picking. Most of the Muslim families living in the slums are Bengali speaking.
Akbar, who runs a mobile shop in Jahangirpuri, says, "People are fleeing back to West Bengal out of fear of the police."
Autos are seen at the intersection on Tuesdays, as the train leaves Anand Vihar for Haldia on that day. People have been doing this for weeks, they think that if they do not run away, the police will catch them.
Who are the police looking for?
The Jahangirpuri violence is still under investigation. Police are searching for suspects allegedly involved in the April 16 sectarian violence, but Muslim families in Jehangirpuri say police are deliberately harassing innocent people.
Sajida is also one of the people wanted by the police. Sajida Jahangir lives in Block C of Puri. Sajida was present on the day of the sectarian violence.
Sajida says, "I went to get watermelon. When the violence started, I tried to convince people. My face is also visible in the video. I have been to the police station four times. I'm not running anywhere.
But the police are harassing us again and again in the streets. Sajida's worries are not just that. One of their sons works in the private sector.
"The violence has made it harder for my son to work," she said. Keep my son standing outside. The irony is that he is Jahangir Puri's Muslim, it has become very difficult for him to work.
On the other hand, Andramani Tiwari, president of the Jahangirpuri GH Block Resident Welfare Association, has a different opinion.
They appear to be supporting the police operation. Andramani Tiwari says: "The police are doing their job.
No one is leaving the house. Only those who were involved in sectarian violence are leaving. They are scared. "
We sought the opinion of DCP Osha Rangani of North West Delhi directly, by phone and email, but he did not respond.
Farooq's name is also among the supporters of the Muslim families against whom the police are taking action. Farooq Jahangir does scrap work in Puri.
"Police have arrested more than 35 Muslims so far," he said. We are trying to help these families. " The Association for the Protection of Civil Rights is providing legal assistance to about 12 accused in the Jehangir Puri violence case.
Nadeem Khan, the organisation's national secretary, questions the police action. He says that the police take advantage of registering FIRs against unknown persons. It also harasses people who have nothing to do with the case.
According to Nadeem Khan, in the Jahangirpuri violence case, the police had picked up a minor child as a mastermind. Police had also taken him into custody from the court.
The court did not consider age at this time. We took the matter to the High Court. The court reprimanded the police and ordered them to be sent to the juvenile center within four hours.
The people of the Muslim community in Jehangirpuri who had come hundreds of miles away to earn a living have now changed their lives after the violence.
Many families want to return to their villages in West Bengal. There are many who are still hoping that life will get back on track if things get cool.
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