Mumbai: Law student pays the price for saving his community

The scooter was set afire outside R City mall in Ghatkopar

A law student, who has been working to help his community - Irani - shed the ‘thief' tag, had to pay the price for his good deed. Recently, someone torched his scooter that was parked outside R City mall in Ghatkopar, while he was watching the FIFA World Cup finals. Sadiq Aulad Hussain, 27, said that because he has been helping cops catch the chain snatchers and petty offenders from his community, some have held a grudge against him.

The Parksite police in Ghatkopar have registered an FIR against unknown persons and are checking CCTV cameras of the area.
Hussain told mid-day that he recently helped Ghatkopar police arrest four chain snatchers. He suspects some took revenge for this by setting his scooter on fire.

At times, Hussain has accompanied the cops to the residence of the accused, as the family members and the community members protest the attempt to arrest them.

Sadiq Hussain's scooter before it was burnt

Earlier this year, mid-day had reported a series of stories about police targeting the Irani community in an event of chain snatching in the city. Police say that as per their records, more than 60 per cent of the chain snatchers are from the Irani community.

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Hussain is not only helping the police catch the real culprits from his community, but also fighting for the rights of others against whom police have allegedly filed fake cases.

Hussain lives with his family at PSB colony in Ghatkopar West and is in the fourth year of LLB (Bachelor of Law). Hussain purchased his Honda Duo four years back and said that he always parked his vehicle wherever there were CCTV cameras.

Sadiq Aulad Hussain, the victim

According to the police, the incident occurred late Sunday night when Hussain and his friends had gone to the mall for the match. He parked his scooter near Pankhe Shah Baba dargah. However, that night, he returned home on his friend's scooter.

Next morning, around 5.30 am, a called him and told him that his scooter was on fire. By the time he reached the spot, the two-wheeler was completely burnt. Hussain said he found something near his burnt scooter, either petrol or some kind of chemical that was used to burn his scooter.

"I am trying to clear my community's name and image, while also helping cops to nab the real accused involved in petty offenses. But, this gang of people are targeting me and only trying to frame me in a fake case. They have now burnt my vehicle. I told the cops that someone from the gang which I helped them bust six months back is behind this," Hussain told mid-day.

"The entire community is not involved in criminal activities, but only a few people. They are destroying the name of our community with the incidents of chain snatching, because of which people have given the Irani community the thief tag. The Irani community has been in India since the past seven-eight generations," Hussain explained.

The police had arrested a gang of chain snatchers, following which they launched a combing operation to hunt down its members. Hussain had then helped the cops look for the accused and visited their homes. They arrested seven people following that operation, with the help of Hussain.

Earlier, members from the Irani community were involved in the business of horse trading, carpets, stones, spectacles and jewellery. However, as time passed, only the stones and spectacles businesses survived, forcing many out of work. Some people then started casino-type stalls at local fairs and some would cheat their customers by bluffing. The cops referred to it as "bol bachchan" crime. Many continue to do this for a living. Around eight to 10 years ago, some youths started snatching chains instead of carrying forward their traditional businesses, because the criminal activity made them quick bucks.

07
No. of petty offenders he helped catch recently