“My grandfather Naimullah Shaikh fought alongside Param Vir Chakra awardee Havildar Abdul Hameed in the 1965 war against Pakistan. He also served in the war with China. His younger brother, Subedar Saleem of the Bombay Sappers, was another 1965 veteran. And my uncle, Lance Naik Hakeemuddin, fought in the Kargil war and has served in the United Nations Angola mission representing the Indian Army,” says Nawab Ali Shaikh, a resident of Chandan Nagar in Pune.

But despite this proud lineage of military service, Nawab says his family was branded as “Bangladeshi infiltrators” and “Rohingya” by a mob of around 70 men – accompanied by police – who barged into their home at midnight on Saturday.

More than 48 hours later, neither an FIR has been filed nor any action taken against those who stormed the house, despite a complaint being submitted.

“We never imagined something like this could happen in a city like Pune,” says 41-year-old Nawab Ali Shaikh. His family, originally from Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, has lived in Pune for the past 55 years. “We are a joint family. We’ve never faced discrimination before – until now.”

Inspector Seema Dhakne of Chandan Nagar police station acknowledged that a group of locals, including members of the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad were on the spot. But she claimed that “no one entered the house”.

Dhakne said it’s “not unusual for police to conduct checks at night”. “We received information that some Bangladeshis were living there, so we went to verify...we told Bajrang Dal and VHP members their job was only to point out the house – not to stay back at the spot. We told them they were not supposed to act like that. We told them not to repeat this.”

“Some others gathered but the police didn’t let anyone enter the house.”

Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said: “The issue has come to my notice and I have told the DCP (Zone-4) to take appropriate legal action. We are also checking on the issue of why police were accompanying the mob and we will take proper legal action in this regard.”

DCP Somay Munde (Zone-4) said: “We are looking into this matter. We are reaching out to the family. Police were not accompanying any mob but we are looking into the claims of the family. If the complaint is there by the family then there will be no backing for anyone and will take proper action.”

The midnight raid

At around 11.35 pm on Saturday, the Shaikh household – children, women, elders – was jolted awake by banging on the door. “We were terrified,” Nawab said. “The voices outside were shouting threats, saying they’d break the door down if we didn’t open it.”

When they finally did, Nawab claims around 70 men burst in. “A couple of policemen stood silently outside. They didn’t enter or stop the mob,” he alleged. “The crowd was aggressive. They demanded our Aadhaar cards and hurled communal slurs. When we questioned them, they called us Bangladeshis and Rohingyas. They said we had no right to live in this country.”

According to Nawab, even after his family showed their identification documents, the mob dismissed them as fake. “They threatened to beat up the officials who had issued them. They weren’t willing to listen to anything.”

After nearly an hour of intimidation, the mob demanded that the entire family be taken to the police station. “Thankfully, the police convinced them not to take the women and children,” Nawab said.

As the mob stepped out, they began chanting “Jai Shri Ram”. Around 10 male members of the family were then made to walk to a nearby market area, where two police vehicles were waiting. “The mob followed, chanting slogans again. Only one officer asked them to stop,” Nawab claimed.

The family was taken to the Chandan Nagar police station, where the mob gathered again. “At the station, our Aadhaar cards were collected and we were split into two rooms. They kept us there till 3 am,” he said. “Before letting us go, the police told us we were suspected Bangladeshis. They recorded our names and asked us to return at 11 am the next day or they would declare us illegal immigrants.”

The next morning, Nawab’s younger brother, Shamshad Shaikh, 35, accompanied family members back to the police station. “The officer concerned wasn’t present, so we were asked to come again at 2.30 pm,” he said.

“When we returned, they asked for our ancestral village in Pratapgarh, and the name of the local police station there. Only then were we let go. When we asked why we were treated like this, the officers said they were just following orders. They told us to speak to their seniors.”

The family claims their Aadhaar cards still haven’t been returned.

Shamshad later filed a written complaint at the Chandan Nagar police station. But no FIR has been registered.

“We are Indians. Three members of our family have served this country,” Shamshad said. “How can we be treated like outsiders in our own country? Just because we are Muslims doesn’t mean we’re Bangladeshis or Rohingyas. What’s worse is that the mob was accompanied by police. We are born in this country and we have birth certificates to prove it.”

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