Hyderabad: It has been four years and four months since 15-year-old Hafiz Junaid was lynched and murdered in a Mathura bound train while going back to his home in Ballabhgarh, Haryana.
Siasat.com spoke to Junaid’s mother Saira Banu to know how her family is coping with the tragedy after four years.
Family of Junaid in financial crisis
As the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, Saira’s family continues to experience an overwhelming amount of emotional and economic hardship and food insecurity. Hafiz Junaid was the seventh child of Saira. His brothers Hashim and Sakir who were travelling with him were seriously injured.
Excluding Junaid, Saira has seven sons and one daughter. Her eldest son Mohammed Ismail works as a driver in Noida. Saira’s second and third sons Mohammed Hashim and Mohammed Sakir who were travelling with Junaid on the train were seriously injured during their brother’s lynching. They can hardly do much physical activity as Shakir’s right hand’s three fingers were chopped and Hashim got deep cuts on his both hand.
Her fourth son Mohammed Qasim is an Imam in a village mosque who earns Rs 6000 a month. The other two sons of Saira have stopped pursuing education since the first lockdown as they don’t have money for school fees.
Saira’s husband Jalaluddin was a taxi driver and suffered a heart attack when he heard that four of the accused in Junaid’s lynching were granted bail by the Chandigarh high court. Later he underwent successful open-heart surgery.
Broken slab of Junaid’s house
A year ago, the slab of Saira house fell down, which forced them to shift to a rented house with two rooms. She pays Rs 5000 rent every month and she hardly remembers when was the last time her kids had ghee (butter), milk or a well-cooked meal.
Saira Banu remembers Junaid
While speaking to Saisat.com over the phone, she sobbed and remembered Junaid. “After Junaid’s lynching, I have asked my sons not to wear kurta pyjama and skull cap if they are going outside the village,” she said.
“Right now Junaid’s case is with the Supreme Court and I have full belief that I’ll get justice but I’m tired of hearing after hearing, dates after dates,” she added.
Appeal for help
Editor of The Siasat Daily Zahid Ali Khan, Trustee of Faiz e Aam Trust Iftekhar Hussain and former Rajya Sabha member Brinda Karat, on behalf of Junaid’s mother Saira Banu, appeal to the readers of Siasat.com to come forward and help Junaid’s family to come out of the financial crisis.
Saira Banu’s Online payment details
Phone pe
Google Pay
Patym 9711238450
Saira Banu’s bank account details
Name- Mrs Saira
Bank account number- 3348000100196827
IFDSC code- PUNB0334800
Bank name- Punjab National Bank