Mumbai cop’s widow loses house help job, thanks to Covid-19 lockdown

Ramiza Sheikh (far right) with her children (from left) Namira Muddasair and Muzamli at their Malvani house on Thursday. Pic/Satej Shinde

The family of a deceased police constable is finding it hard to make ends meet, with his widowed wife, who started working as a house help last year, now out of work. Ramiza Sheikh, wife of Shabber Sheikh who died in 2016, waited for years for the police to enrol one of their three children in the force. But, a job offer never came and last year she had to vacate their police quarter.

An old photo of constable Shabber Sheikh now deceased

"I had applied for a police job for my son on compassionate grounds. The application is pending since 2017. Back then, they told me my son didn't have basic qualification for recruitment," Ramiza said. "My son studied hard and cleared his Std XII exam. Meanwhile, my daughter and younger son also passed Std XII. We were hoping the police will appoint at least one of them in the force, but they didn't."

Ramiza told mid-day that last year she wrote to the Mumbai police about the rent, as she had no clue what was happening in this regard. She was then informed that Rs 9,50,119 [Rs 20,000 a month] in rent was pending. Shocked, she moved out of the Majas Wadi police quarter and shifted to a hutment in Malvani, Malad.

However, with a pension of Rs 14,000 a month, it became difficult to manage her family's finances. Around Rs 8,000-Rs 10,000 goes on monthly rent, electricity and other expenses, Ramiza said, adding that she also has to fund her children's education. So, she took up cooking and cleaning work at a few houses.

Constable Shabber Sheikh with his wife and children

"Before the lockdown, I was cooking and cleaning in two-three houses. But due to the second lockdown, all my work stopped and I am again struggling financially," she said. "I have to feed three children and fund their education.

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Shabber was a constable at Mumbai police's Motor Transport Department. In 2016, he underwent heart and lung replacement surgery at a private hospital. The then Mumbai police commissioner, Ahmed Javed, helped the family in securing Rs 25 lakh through the CM Relief Fund. Ramiza said it was the country's first lung and heart transplant. Unfortunately, Sheikh couldn't survive and passed away a month later.

Rs 14,000
Monthly pension the family of four gets