Aish Mohammad said he is hopeful of putting his life back together
After serving in Kashmir as part of the Central Reserve Police Force, 58-year-old Aish Mohammad lost his home in last week's violence in Delhi. "I feel like I do not have a right to live in this country anymore," he had told NDTV from a relief camp in northeast Delhi's Mustafabad.
After his story was aired on Monday, the CRPF contacted NDTV on Tuesday and sought his details.
On Tuesday night, they gave him Rs 20,000 as an immediate relief measure. Today, they called him to the CRPF Headquarters in New Delhi and the Director General of CRPF, AP Maheshwari, handed him a cheque of Rs 11 lakh to rebuild his house.
Aish Mohammad served in the CRPF for 22 years and retired in 2002 as a head constable. His house was one of the many set ablaze.
"200-300 rioters came and threw stones, fired bullets and then set fire to the house," Aish Mohammad had told NDTV. "My niece was set to get married on the 29th March so all jewels were kept and they robbed it all," he said. Two motorbikes belonging to him and his son were torched as well.
The CRPF veteran had to send his family to Bulandshahr. He decided to stay back at a makeshift relief camp and save what was left of his house.
Today, Aish Mohammad said he is hopeful of putting his life back together.
"The way CRPF has helped me even though it has been so many years since I was with them, I feel like I am back with my family now. I will rebuild my house and bring my family there. People in our locality live with brotherhood. It was the Hindu neighbours who tried saving me that day," he said, tears in his eyes.
"We saw the story on your channel and decided to trace him by contacting you," PK Johri, Commandant of CRPF, told NDTV.
CRPF chief Maheshwari supervised things and came up with a relief plan, he said. "This man gave so many of his years of his life to CRPF. This is the least we could do. Our on-ground teams will help him in the process of rebuilding the structure of his house," he added.