Faiz Usmani, 35, was called to the Chembur unit of the crime branch on Saturday for questioning over Wednesday’s blasts.
The Shivaji Nagar area at Govandi was tense on Sunday.
As heavy showers lashed the streets, the narrow lane leading to the house of Faiz Usmani’s in the same locality was covered in mud and filth.
Usmani, 35, was called to the Chembur unit of the crime branch on Saturday for questioning over Wednesday’s blasts. His brother, Afzal, is an accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad blasts.
He was brought unconscious to Sion hospital by the police and later he died.
Braving the downpour, several residents from the neighbourhood could be seen huddling together near the house.
Crowds of people filled the road as many streamed inside to share the grief of the Usmanis. Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi visited the locality on Sunday.
After hearing the residents’ allegations that Usmani was forcefully picked up, Azmi asked the police to take along a group of five people from the locality whenever anyone was being summoned or picked up for interrogation.
Usmani’s son Azim and wife Rohaida were at Sion hospital while his father-in-law Afzal and four sons were at home.
Sitting on a bed in the ground floor house of the building where the Usmani’s live, Kazi Afzal Ahmad, 72, Usmani’s father-in-law, wore a helpless look on his face.
When asked if he would like to give his version of the story, Ahmad said: “I do not live here. I came here today from my village in Uttar Pradesh. My daughter Rohaida has given a statement to the police at the hospital.”
One of Usmani’s sons said softly: “He was taken by the police in the afternoon. He never came back.”
Bashar, a neighbour, said: “The police forcefully took him along, grabbing him by the neck yesterday afternoon. Their torture cost him his life. We want justice.”
Amjad, another neighbour, who claims to have visited the hospital after Usmani’s health deteriorated, said: “How can the police claim that he never took medicines for three to four days when he was not at all on medication? He was in good health and had no history of hypertension as per the police’s argument. The intense police torture led to the deterioration of his health.”
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