Suleman Usman bakery firing incident: Can’t identify accused as incident of long ago, says witness

The son of a Madrasa teacher who died allegedly after being taken away by the police in the Suleman bakery firing incident during the 1993 Bombay riots, appeared as a witness on Tuesday before a sessions court and said that he was unable to identify the policemen who took away his father, as the incident happened many years ago. 

The then joint commissioner of police (crime) Ram Deo Tyagi who was the main accused in the case, was discharged along with some others. Seven policemen face trial in the case.

The son Abdullah Qasim, now over 40, said he was a child when the incident took place and that it had happened so long ago. After the incident, he said he had gone to his native in Bihar and had returned only after three to four months to continue his education. 

Qasim, however, stated in his testimony before the court that he had heard sounds of firing outside the room where the students were seated. He further told the court that 10 to 15 policemen had entered the Madrasa adjacent to the bakery and asked where the weapons were. The witness also made allegations of assault by the policemen on his father and two senior students.

He said his father was taken away by the police and he thought he was taken to jail, but then after four days he was taken to the cemetery and saw his father’s dead body.