Zahida, the 26-year-old second wife of Yasin Bhatkal (30), received the news of the arrest of her husband with mixed feelings. While there was a sense of relief at Yasin having been caught alive, there was also the need to ‘protest’ against the arrest as she claimed, there was no evidence against him.
Zahida lives in D-block of Shaheen Bagh, Abul Fazal Enclave in Delhi’s south-east district along with her mother and five sisters and a son. Another wife of Bhatkal Katil Sidiqui stays in Bihar.
Though Zahida was born in Delhi, her parents come from Samastipur in Bihar. The fair-skinned woman with an average height, Zahida told this reporter on Thursday morning, ‘Humare patti bekasoor hai. Imran toh ek seedhe sadhe insaan hain... Even my father — Mohmmad Irshad Khan (52) who has been arrested by special cell was not at all involved in any criminal activity. Imran and my father were business partners.’
She added that she met Imran (another name through which Yasin is known) when he used to come to her residence to meet her father.
Zahida’s father Irshad was arrested in 2011 following a tip off by Qateel Siddiqui, an IM terrorist, later killed in Yerwada jail in Pune by the prison inmates. Six alleged members of the terror outfit were apprehended who were running an arms factory in outer Delhi.
‘After my father’s arrest the local police along with few investigative agencies keep a hawk’s eye on us. Their frequent visit at our residence has made the neighbours suspicious towards us. We are financially not that strong to buy an accommodation somewhere else,’ she said.
Her one-room set with an open kitchen bore a Spartan look. When asked about her source of income, she refused to answer the query. This reporter saw a small A-4 size paper pasted outside the main door of the apartment which said that tuitions in reading Quran and learning Urdu were given. ‘In this way my son also get a chance to learn,’ she added.
Sources in the special cell said, ‘If Yasin’s wife is giving coaching classes to the locals, it is a matter of investigation.’ Neighbours were unaware that she is the wife of Yasin Bhatkal, the top most wanted IM terrorist. One of the neighbour’s in her early twenties who resides next door said, ‘Zahida is the daughter of Irshad, who is a criminal so we don’t talk to them. They mostly remain inside their house. After Irshad’s arrest, the family living on the first floor has made a separate entry to avoid them.’
Zahida does not have television at home, she only reads Urdu newspaper. ‘The four walls of my home is my Jannat (heaven), I don’t feel like stepping out of this place else I will enter in Jhannum (hell). My son doesn’t go to school, I am their
only teacher and I am proud of myself.’
Zahida lives in D-block of Shaheen Bagh, Abul Fazal Enclave in Delhi’s south-east district along with her mother and five sisters and a son. Another wife of Bhatkal Katil Sidiqui stays in Bihar.
Though Zahida was born in Delhi, her parents come from Samastipur in Bihar. The fair-skinned woman with an average height, Zahida told this reporter on Thursday morning, ‘Humare patti bekasoor hai. Imran toh ek seedhe sadhe insaan hain... Even my father — Mohmmad Irshad Khan (52) who has been arrested by special cell was not at all involved in any criminal activity. Imran and my father were business partners.’
She added that she met Imran (another name through which Yasin is known) when he used to come to her residence to meet her father.
Zahida’s father Irshad was arrested in 2011 following a tip off by Qateel Siddiqui, an IM terrorist, later killed in Yerwada jail in Pune by the prison inmates. Six alleged members of the terror outfit were apprehended who were running an arms factory in outer Delhi.
‘After my father’s arrest the local police along with few investigative agencies keep a hawk’s eye on us. Their frequent visit at our residence has made the neighbours suspicious towards us. We are financially not that strong to buy an accommodation somewhere else,’ she said.
Her one-room set with an open kitchen bore a Spartan look. When asked about her source of income, she refused to answer the query. This reporter saw a small A-4 size paper pasted outside the main door of the apartment which said that tuitions in reading Quran and learning Urdu were given. ‘In this way my son also get a chance to learn,’ she added.
Sources in the special cell said, ‘If Yasin’s wife is giving coaching classes to the locals, it is a matter of investigation.’ Neighbours were unaware that she is the wife of Yasin Bhatkal, the top most wanted IM terrorist. One of the neighbour’s in her early twenties who resides next door said, ‘Zahida is the daughter of Irshad, who is a criminal so we don’t talk to them. They mostly remain inside their house. After Irshad’s arrest, the family living on the first floor has made a separate entry to avoid them.’
Zahida does not have television at home, she only reads Urdu newspaper. ‘The four walls of my home is my Jannat (heaven), I don’t feel like stepping out of this place else I will enter in Jhannum (hell). My son doesn’t go to school, I am their
only teacher and I am proud of myself.’