‘Mohsin’s kids ask when he’ll be back to take them to school’

Life of the family members of the absconding terror suspect and alleged Indian Mujahideen member Mohsin Chaudhary is hard. They have been facing constant grilling by the police and are shunned by relatives, who want to stay out of trouble. The men in the family find it difficult to get jobs and are often fired for no fault of theirs.

Mohsin Chaudhary has been on the run since 2008, and the the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers have questioned Mohsin’s family members in the Jungli Maharaj Road serial blasts case, as a man resembling him was spotted in the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage procured by the police. Mohsin’s involvement is also suspected in the German Bakery blast. Fed up with the constant inquiry, Mohsin’s family has removed the name plate on the door of their flat.

Resident of Mithanagar, Kondhwa, on Saturday, Mohsin’s family members confirmed that they had been questioned by the ATS officers. They also lamented that the tag of being related to a terror suspect made life difficult for them. Moreover, they stated that they want Mohsin to surrender and clear his name.

Mohsin, who studied till class IX, worked with a construction company as a clerk. He purchased the flat in Kondhwa in 2004. Mohsin’s younger brother, Akbar, was arrested by the Gujarat ATS in 2008 and Mohsin is on the run since October 2, 2008. His father Ismail (58) is a conservancy staffer with a mosque. Mohsin is the eldest of four sons.

Mohsin’s mother, Roshan Ismail Chaudhary (55) said, “It’s very hard to digest the truth. Mohsin is wanted by agencies and my younger son Akbar is lodged in Arthur Road jail. I regularly meet Akbar when his case comes up for hearing. However, my husband refuses to even talk about the two children from the day he came to know that they were suspected to be involved in acts of terror.”
She added, “Even Akbar was shocked when he came to know that Mohsin was suspected to be a member of the terror outfit.”

She continued, “We feel that Mohsin should surrender to the police and that would clear a lot of things. Living with the tag of being the family of a terror suspect is not easy. Even our relatives avoid contact with us. They are afraid that their proximity with us would land them in trouble.”

She said, “Three days ago, the ATS officials had summoned my husband and two sons. After they were questioned, we came to know the ATS suspects Mohsin’s involvement in Jungli Maharaj Road blasts. However, they were not shown any CCTV footage.”
She added, “Mohsin’s wife is my sister’s daughter and he has two sons. His children are not aware about Mohsin being a terror suspect. They pray thrice a day for his safety and want him back home. They often ask their uncle when their father is going to return home and accompany them to school?”

She said, “After Mohsin and Akbar came under the scanner, my other two sons had to give up their education and shoulder domestic responsibilities, which crushed their dreams. They have lost several jobs, because their brothers are terror suspects.”
Roshan said, “After Akbar’s arrest in 2008, the ATS interrogated Mohsin as he was with us for a week. Then one day, he packed his bag and left saying he was going to bring Akbar back home. We are not aware of his whereabouts after that.”

Roshan added, “The ATS has seized Mohsin’s bank accounts and we do not have access to the money he had in his accounts.”