Mangalore: Hawala case - Brother of accused Mushtaq dies in train
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Nov 30: The elder brother of Mushtaq, who is under the custody of Bihar police for his alleged links with a hawala racket, died of cardiac arrest during a train journey on Friday November 29.
The deceased is Ubaid (50). He was on his way to Mangalore from Patna by train.
Ubaid along with Abdul Majid of Sooralpady left for Bihar on November 25, the day Mushtaq was taken by Bihar police, to appoint a lawyer to fight the case on Mushtaq's behalf.
After completing the necessary procedures, they left from Bihar by train on Friday morning. The train was scheduled to move via Kolkata and stop at Bangalore.
However, when the train had moved about 200 km, Ubaid suffered cardiac arrest. The staff in the train rushed to his help and as soon as the train reached Kolkata, the took him to SSMK Hospital there. He breathed his last soon after.
Ubaid was employed in Saudi Arabia for several years and had come to his hometown just last month. He leaves behind his wife and three sons.
Mushtaq had been arrested by the Bihar police on November 23 for his alleged links with Zubair and Aysha, who were earlier arrested by the same police for allegedly running a hawala racket with links to Pakistan.
Family in dire straits
The family of Mushtaq has plunged into despair ever since his arrest. His pregnant wife, unable to bear the shock, has been admitted to hospital. Their three children have dropped out of school as they could not cope with the insults hurled at them by fellow students.
Above all, Mushtaq himself is suffering from blood cancer. It is said that his friends who stay abroad had helped him with the treatment by sending Rs 60,000 and Rs 40,000 on separate occasions through Zubair. The family is in a state of shock over reports in sections of the media alleging links with terrorists. They insist that the money from abroad sent through Zubair was for Mushtaq's treatment alone.
It is said that Ubaid had taken the responsibility of looking after Mushtaq, who was undergoing treatment at Kidwai hospital in Bangalore. He came back to Mangalore after his treatment showed positive results. However, when he was produced in the court after his arrest, he lost balance and fell. He was taken for medical examination and then to Bihar on transit warrant on being certified fit to travel. Sources said that though Ubaid had left for Bihar immediately, he was unable to meet Mushtaq.