Wasim Sheikh's shop was demolished by district administration on 11 April after Khargone riots.
(Photo: Altered by Aroop Mishra/The Quint)
"Madam told me that you only have to say that your kiosk (gumti) was not demolished by the district administration. I was afraid… There were a lot of people who came with CMO madam last night and everybody told me to say that my shop wasn't demolished by the administration," Wasim Sheikh, an amputee whose shop was demolished after Khargone riots, claimed.
On Monday, a video released by Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district administration showed Wasim retracting his earlier statements and saying that his shop wasn't demolished by them.
However, talking to The Quint, Wasim said he was afraid as he was called out of his house in the night by CMO Patel, who was accompanied by a lot of people.
The CMO of Khargone district Priyanka Patel and Sub-divisional Magistrate Milind Dhoke didn't respond to The Quint's calls and texts. Their responses will be included if and when they are received.
Meanwhile, the district collector Anugraha P when contacted responded with a WhatsApp text, "Don't Spread Hatred."
Wasim Sheikh is a father of two and has five members in his family, including his ailing mother who are dependent on him.
Wasim has a responsibility of his two children and an ailing mother. He claims his shop was demolished by district administration and that he was told to say otherwise.
After the communal clashes in Khargone on the occasion of Ram Navami on 10 April, both Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state Home Minister Narottam Mishra took a strong stand, promising that rioters would not go unpunished.
"Jis ghar se patthar nikle hain us ghar ko hi pattharon ka dher banayenge (The houses of stone pelters will be turned into a pile of stones)," Mishra said on 11 April.
Post the riots in Khargone, 16 houses and 29 shops were demolished by the district administration.
Wasim had earlier said that his kiosk located at Chhoti Mohan Talkies was demolished on 11 April, a day after the riots.
The district administration on Monday released a video where Wasim Sheikh could be heard saying, "Neither my PM Awas Yojana house nor my gumti was demolished by the district administration."
Demolition drive being carried out at Chhoti Mohan Talkies area by Khargone district administration post Khargone violence which occurred on 10 April.
Following this, Wasim also appealed for peace and harmony in the district, after which CMO Patel could be heard saying:
Sadulla Baig, whose house is built on the plot of land beside which Wasim's kiosk was built, told The Quint that he had requested the administration to not demolish the kiosk as it was run by a man with disability.
House of Sadulla Baig which was next to the gumti (Kisok) of Wasim Sheikh was also demolished. Sadulla appealed to the authorities to not demolish Wasim's shop saying he was a person with disability and will suffer.
Mukeem Khan, who owns the land where Wasim had established his plot, told The Quint:
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