12 Malda: Neighbours and relatives of Moktar Khan and his wife, Sajnur Parveen, on Wednesday rejected the Delhi Police's claim that Sajnur fabricated the allegation of torture.
Back home in Chanchal lives Moktar's only sister, Muktari. The stark poverty in the area is palpable, with almost every household having one or two members working in another state, most commonly in Haryana or Delhi.
Following the viral circulation of the alleged torture of Sajnur and her child, after a social media post by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, police visited the house, where only Muktari was present to receive them. Responding to the Delhi police's assertion that no torture occurred, Muktari said: "Does a criminal concede his crime? My brother himself told me that in his absence, my sister-in-law with her child was taken to the police station and roughed up. The child was thrown on the floor and he was injured. They were only released after paying Rs 25,000.
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Local Panchayat Samiti member Johur Ahmed, who has been in constant contact with Moktar, said: "Delhi police were after the family once the video of torture went viral. They were called by police and pressurised to give statements at the will of the police. I asked them not to do so, but I am not sure whether they could remain stubborn before police pressure.
"TMC MP Mausam Noor also visited Moktar's house in Chanchal and consoled Muktari. She said: "Delhi police are now giving a false narrative. The family is forced to sign a Hindi statement in the police station.
"Villagers in Pirojabad of Mokdumpur Gram Panchayat expressed concern for Moktar and his family. Moktar, along with his parents, wife Sajnur, and two-year-old child, has been residing in Gita Colony, New Delhi, for several years. His father, Ajmal Khan had moved there about 16 years ago. Moktar worked as a sweeper.
The family reached Kolkata on Wednesday and will arrive in Malda via the Vande Bharat Express on Thursday morning. From the station, they will be taken to Zilla Parishad Hall at the behest of the district administration, where a medical team will be on standby to examine their health condition.