Hindutva mob harasses Kargil veteran's family over citizenship, FIR filed against seven

A mob allegedly linked to a Hindutva outfit stormed the home of a Kargil War veteran’s family in Pune and accused them of being illegal Bangladeshi migrants.

Pune Police have registered a case against seven individuals for unlawful assembly following an incident.

According to the Hindustan Times, the incident took place on Saturday night when around 80 individuals reportedly forced their way into the home of Irshad Shaikh, whose elder brother Hakimuddin Shaikh served in the Indian Army during the 1999 Kargil conflict.

Despite the family’s long-standing presence in Pune - spanning over six decades - the intruders allegedly accused them of being undocumented foreigners.

“We tried to explain that our family has deep roots here, and several of us have served in the armed forces, but they continued hurling accusations,” Irshad Shaikh told HT.

The mob allegedly demanded to see Aadhaar cards and other identification documents from all family members, including women and children.

Some individuals reportedly dismissed the documents as fake and continued to verbally abuse the family.

Two men who identified themselves as police officers were present but allegedly failed to intervene.

Following the incident, the family was taken to Chandannagar Police Station and made to wait for several hours. They were later told to return the next day or risk being declared as “Bangladeshi nationals,” the family claimed.

Seeking legal help, the family approached social activists and later met with Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, demanding action against those involved. “He assured us that stringent action is being taken against anti-social elements,” Irshad said.

Commissioner Kumar confirmed that an FIR had been filed for unlawful assembly. “On receiving a call about suspected Bangladeshi nationals, police found people raising slogans outside the house. The mob’s actions are under scrutiny, and based on fresh statements, more sections may be added or a separate FIR may be filed,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Somay Munde told The Indian Express that authorities had acted on a tip-off about suspected undocumented migrants. “Some of their documents were checked and some were brought to the police station. They were released as it was getting late and were called back the next morning,” Munde said, defending the nighttime action as necessary to prevent suspects from fleeing.

Kumar also stated that most of the officers involved were in uniform, although he did not rule out that some may have been in plain clothes. He confirmed the family’s documents were found to be valid.

Irshad Shaikh emphasised that his family’s Indian citizenship could be traced back centuries. “If necessary, we can trace our citizenship back 400 years,” he said, adding that his family has a 130-year history of serving in the Army. “My own brother Hakimuddin joined the Bombay Sappers in 1982 in Pune and was posted across India after his training. He fought in the Kargil War and retired in 2000.”

Reacting to the harassment, Hakimuddin Shaikh told Hindustan Times, “It was disheartening that a family with a history of military service had to face such humiliation. If required, I’ll personally speak to the authorities to seek accountability.”

The incident comes amid increased scrutiny and detentions of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in several BJP-ruled states, following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. In some cases, people mistakenly deported to Bangladesh have returned after being verified as Indian citizens.

In May, the Union Home Ministry instructed states and Union Territories to verify the identities of individuals suspected to be undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar.