By Sabah Gurmat
Haldwani (Uttarakhand): For 28-year-old Nafeesa—a gaunt, young woman and mother of four children aged three to 11—making a living was always difficult, with the family barely surviving on her husband’s daily wages of about Rs 400 a day as an itinerant labourer.
Life became even more difficult after 12 February 2024, four days after riots erupted after the demolition of a mosque and madrasa here in this southeastern Uttarakhand city, regarded as the state’s commercial capital.
Early that afternoon, the police picked up her husband, Shueb. “Two policemen came to our home and said, ‘We are just taking you for some questioning, we will release you soon,’” she said. But it’s been four days since he’s gone. I have no idea where he is.”
Police sweeps in the area began after at least five died in police firing on Muslim mobs, and a curfew kept local housebound in the Muslim-dominated neighbourhood of Banbhoolpura. Hundreds were arbitrarily detained, locals alleged. In interviews, families of some of those detained alleged police violence and vandalism and said they had no idea what legal recourse to take.
This story was originally published in article-14.com. Read the full story here .