A day after National Investigation Agency officer Mohammad Tanzil Ahmad was brutally murdered in UP’s Bijnor, the residents of Shaheen Bagh in Okhla, where the slain officer had been living for the last 15 years with his family, are in mourning. Even as the narrowy bylanes wore a deserted look on Monday, tense locals gave laconic replies to queries of the reporter.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced an ex-gratia of Rs 20 lakh to his family on Monday.
Afer Tanzil was laid to rest with full State honour in Batla House graveyard on Sunday night amid some slogan raising, a heavy posse of security personnel has been deployed in and around the residence of the slain officer to avoid any untoward incidents.
Despite journalists hanging around in the streets braving blazing heat to get a few bites, things went on as usual in the locality. “It was only in the morning that a few local leaders visited the house. Former Okhla Congress MlA Asif Md. Khan and current AAP MlA Amanatullah Khan landed in the locality to meet Tanzil’s relatives,” said Anzar Haider, an Okhla resident. Both the leaders had come under scathing attack on Sunday for turning up at the last minute at Tanzil’s funeral after his body was brought from Bijnor to his adopted place to be taken to Jamia Millia Islamia mosque for offering the last prayer.
The NIA officer was attacked by two motorcycle-borne assailants in Bijnor while he, along with his wife and two children, was returning to Sahaspur from the wedding of his niece on Sunday.
His wife was also injured in the incident while his two children, on the back seat of the car being driven by the deceased, are safe. In the attack Tanzil died and his wife is critical, undergoing treatment in a hospital, whose health was talk of the town.
Many residents prayed for her recovery so that at least the children, who survived the attack, could be looked after, said a resident.
“We have not met the children yet. But yes we know it must have been really hard times for the children to see their father and mother being attacked. We were told that her condition is critical,” another resident ST Hashmi told The Pioneer.
Throughout the day visitors made beeline at Tanzil’s house, who is remembered by his neighbours as an affable man who was always more than willing to help people when approached.
For many residents he was an “outsider” in the sense that he was rarely found around the locality after getting a posting in the NIA. “He used to come home once in a week, or often once in 10 to 15 days. And when people asked him where he spent his days, he only said he was on tour but never discussed about his assignments or investigation profiles with anyone. People of the area were unaware that he was posted as Deputy SP in NIA,” Hashmi said.