Family of Kargil war veteran harassed by Pune mob, forced to prove Indian citizenship

PUNE: The family of a Kargil war veteran in Pune has alleged that a mob barged into their home late last Saturday night, demanding proof of their Indian citizenship and accusing them of being illegal immigrants.

The incident took place in Chandannagar area of Pune around 11.30 pm last Saturday. The family claims that members of the Bajrang Dal, accompanied by some police personnel in plainclothes, entered their house and accused them of being Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants.

Irshad Shaikh, brother of Army veteran Hakimuddin Shaikh, said, “We are proud Indians. Our family members, since our forefathers, have served the nation for 130 years in various ranks and services, and yet, we were treated like criminals in our own home”.

He added, “A mob of 70-80 people entered my house and the houses of relatives who reside next to me. They started asking us to prove our nationality. We tried to show our IDs, but they were not listening to us and created chaos. Some police personnel in civil uniform were with them, too”.

#WATCH | Pune, Maharashtra: Irshad Ahmed Shaikh, brother of war veteran Hakimuddin Shaikh, says, “…they asked us for our Aadhaar card and PAN card. They were calling us Bangladeshi and Rohingya. When we showed our Aadhaar cards, they claimed they were fake. Whenever we tried to… pic.twitter.com/6HLaoAINXa

— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2025

Hakimuddin’s nephew, Shamshad Shaikh, shared a similar account. “Around 11.45 pm, they banged loudly on our door. Once open, 5-7 people entered the house. There were a total of 80 people… They started saying that without wasting time, ‘show your Aadhaar card; otherwise, we will kill you’. Upon showing, they claimed our Aadhaar cards were fake. We do not know them, but they told us that they are from Bajrang Dal… The police came in civil dress, so we were not able to identify them initially.”

However, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar denied police involvement in the incident. He said, “The family has not made any allegations of the presence of police in the crowd, and there was indeed no police presence in it.”

The police have registered a case of unlawful assembly against the individuals who allegedly entered the home and raised slogans. “An offence of unlawful assembly has been registered against people who gathered there and were raising slogans… The senior officers have also visited the place, and we have assured the victim family that all their grievances would be addressed appropriately… If required, relevant sections of law shall be applied in the offence. Stringent action will be taken against offenders,” CP Kumar said. Further investigation is under way. (ANI)