‘Even Allah forgives once…’: Pakistan spy Nauman Ilahi also needs ‘forgiveness’, OpIndia traces ISI spy’s links from Kairana to Panipat
“Leave him, he is just a child. Don’t know what has happened to him. Even Allah forgives once. If you don’t leave him, will the government at least provide him with food and clothes?”
An elderly Muslim woman from Kairana said this to OpIndia about ISI spy Nauman Ilahi. Ilahi’s house is in Begumpura area of Kairana. We met the elderly woman outside Ilahi’s locked house.
Kairana is a place in Uttar Pradesh which makes the headlines apparently only for the wrong reasons. Now, the arrest of Nauman Ilahi from Panipat in Haryana has brought it back in the news. In 2014, this place hit the headlines for the murder of Hindu traders, and in 2016 for the exodus of Hindus. After the formation of BJP government under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath in the state, the local situation changed and many Hindus who had left Kairana returned to their homes.
To find out the truth about Nauman Ilahi, OpIndia’s reporter went to Kairana, about 125 km from Delhi. After asking around, we managed to reach Nauman Ilahi’s house in Begumpura in Kairana.
I can’t come out, parda hai : Nauman Ilahi’s neighbour
The door of Nauman Ilahi’s house, located in a narrow lane with mixed population, was locked. We knocked on the door of his neighbours. A woman, who did not reveal her name, said from inside the house (concealing her identity), “All their actions are wrong. They run away with people’s money. We have nothing to do with these people. They have not lived here for many years.” When requested to come out and talk, the woman said, “I cannot come out. There is a parda. I will not tell my name. Kill him (Nauman) or put him in jail.”
There is silence in Nauman Ilahi’s street, no one is ready to reveal their identity
There was silence in the street where Nauman Ilahi’s house is located. People were avoiding talking. They were not even revealing their identity. One such woman, without revealing her name, said, “Nauman’s house has been locked for almost 2 years. His brothers work as labourers and his sisters are married. When Nauman lived here, he was fine, but after he left this place, I don’t know what happened.” Meanwhile, other women were peeping from their windows. However, as soon as the camera was in front of them, they moved inside the house. Meanwhile, a young man said, “Kairana has become infamous because of Nauman. Whatever he has done is wrong.”
The elderly woman wants forgiveness for Nauman Ilahi
An old woman standing near Nauman’s house said, “He was good when he lived here. Now I don’t know. He will pay for what he has done. He must have gone to Pakistan once or twice. He has relatives there.” This woman also said that her relatives also live in Pakistan, but she never went there because she could not get a passport. This old woman talked about forgiving Nauman Ilahi, which we have mentioned in the beginning of our report. She also told that after Nauman’s arrest, the number of people coming to this street has increased. Meanwhile, a boy in the house opposite Nauman’s house said, “Whenever he (Nauman Ilahi) came here, he used to stay alone in the house and then lock it and go away.”
The Imam of the mosque where he used to offer Namaz said he doesn’t know Nauman Ilahi
We also tried to talk to the Imam of the mosque across the street where Nauman Ilahi used to go to offer namaz. However, the Imam of the mosque refused to come in front of the camera. Imam Shahzad said, “I don’t know him. He has done something wrong. He should be punished.”
Danish, who offers namaz at the same mosque, said, “Nauman has brought disrepute to the city. Earlier (when he lived in Kairana) he would often come to the mosque for namaz. I have seen him. Now he lives with his sister in Panipat. His father also used to make fake passports. He has betrayed the country. He should be hanged.” An old man sitting there said, “I don’t know him. But he should definitely be punished for his deeds.”
Kairana was called ‘Mini Pakistan’ during SP rule
Kairana Vyapar Mandal President Pradeep Goyal said that during the SP government, Kairana was known as ‘Mini Pakistan’. The image improved after the Yogi government, but Nauman’s arrest has again tarnished Kairana’s image.
Nauman Ilahi’s sister got furious upon seeing us
Nauman Ilahi has been arrested from Panipat. He lived at his sister’s house in Mohan Nagar, Sector-29. Nauman Ilahi’s relatives got angry seeing us with the camera. Nauman’s sister Zeenat, sitting on the floor of an old house of about 75-80 yards, said, “How dare you enter the house? Who did you ask before entering the house? We don’t want to talk to anyone. Turn off your camera.”
When we tried to talk to Nauman’s brother-in-law Irfan, he said that they are fed up with the media. The media asks something and shows something else. We don’t want to talk to anyone. He said, “Now we have no relation with Nauman. He has destroyed our respect earned in 35 years.”
It is worth mentioning that Nauman is the youngest among 3 sisters and 3 brothers. He is not married. His brother-in-law Irfan runs a car wash center in Panipat and also does bike lamination and wood work.
Eats in India, works for Pakistan
A woman who runs a shop on the street where Nauman’s sister lives told OpIndia, “He would come to the shop sometimes to buy a bundle of bidis. We never suspected that he does something like this. If he is guilty, the law should punish him.”
Another girl from the neighbourhood said that if they had known, they would have informed the police about Nauman Ilahi and got him arrested. She said, “Such a man should be shot. He is eating in India and working for Pakistan.”
The original Hindi Ground report can be read here
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