Though the narrow streets of north-east Delhi’s Kardampuri have remained largely unchanged, Kismatun’s world as she knew it has changed beyond recognition since February 2020. “Everything changed with Faizan’s death,” she said.
The 63-year-old is referring to her son who was detained for two days in connection with north-east Delhi riots of February 2020. The 23-year-old died in a hospital on February 26, 2020, barely hours after the police released him.
A video that went viral a day before his death showed five men, including Faizan, writhing in pain on the ground as police personnel stood by, purportedly telling them to sing the national anthem, and hitting them with their lathis.
Since then, as she fought the case, other tragedies have struck Kismatun’s family — the untimely death of her daughter and son-in-law, and suicide of her newlywed daughter-in-law that led to a dowry case being slapped on Kismatun and her sons.
“I have lost too much since Faizan. While my daughter and son-in-law died of natural causes, my daughter-in-law Roshni died by suicide on August 12 last year. Since her family lodged a case of dowry death and cruelty, my sons (Roshni’s husband) Salman and Nadeem (30), and I were arrested. I was in jail for six-seven months and Nadeem for 11 months. Salman is still in custody,” Kismatun said.
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here .