Sitamarhi: Naib Imam of Gurugram mosque, Haafiz Saad who was killed at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday (August 1) by an unruly mob might have been saved if he chose to leave the mosque for his village as scheduled but the 19-year-old boy decided to stay back as his superior was scheduled to return on Thursday.
Sources in the family said, Saad – a resident of Maniyadih village in North Bihar’s Sitamari district had a journey planned with his elder brother Shadab. They were supposed to return home together by train, but destiny had other plans. Shadab called his family, concern evident in his voice, explaining that Saad was unwilling to leave the mosque until the next morning.
The main imam had left the village temporarily, leaving Saad feeling responsible for the sacred place until his superior's return. While Shadab urged them to seek safety in another place due to the brewing communal violence in Gurugram, Saad's sense of duty kept him bound to the mosque's premises.
“He was supposed to return home on August 1. As there was violence all over, so his brother asked him to shift to a safer place but he refused to leave the mosque as the main Imam was not there and he has given him the responsibility. At night he was attacked by some people and stabbed and shot at. He is not even married and we were dependent on him,” father of Sad father Mohammad Mustaq alias Laddu told Etv Bharat.
Saad's father Mushtaq smells a "conspiracy" against his son, unable to come to terms with reports that the mild-mannered youngster was attacked with swords before being shot dead.
"What was my son's fault? Why did the mob attack the naib imam and not others who were present inside the mosque? I want justice. I want nothing else from the government," said the ailing father.
"Saad babu was scheduled to return by a train along with his elder brother Shadab. Shadab had called us to complain that his brother was not ready to leave the mosque until tomorrow morning," the slain naib imam's maternal uncle Ibrahim Akhtar said.
As the village mourns, their voices of grief reach the authorities, pleading for justice and support during this difficult time. The Superintendent of Police, Manoj Tiwari, assures the bereaved family of all the assistance they may need for the funeral. The entire community grieves as one, finding strength in their unity and determination to seek justice for their beloved Saad.
The journey that was meant to bring two brothers together now takes a heart-wrenching turn. Shadab, who was meant to accompany Saad back home, now accompanies his lifeless body in a sombre hearse. The news of his tragic fate had spread like wildfire, and the villagers who had planned to welcome him and his brother home joyously, now await an ambulance carrying the lifeless body of their young naib imam.
