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Merely a few seconds after I entered one of the lanes in a residential area in Nand Nagri, Delhi, a child came up to me as I reached the steps of a one-storey house. "I am fasting today, you know. My father has died so I have kept this fast for him," she said. Her father was shot dead just a week ago in what is being called an anti-Muslim hate crime in the heart of Shahdara, Delhi.
It was 17 February 2026. Rabia Bi and Mohammad Umardeen's 18th wedding anniversary. It was a love marriage of two people born and raised in Delhi. That day, Rabia (38) was making some tea and paratha for Umardeen (41) and was waiting for her eldest, Tehzeem (15) to come from his tuition.
But a phone call from her son changed the course of their lives in an instant.
"Papa, bohot saare log hain, maar rahe hain, mujhe bacha lo." (Father, there are too many people beating me, please save me). And the father rushed to save his child, Rabia told The Quint.
Dressed in a pink suit, she covered her head and face as she is observing Iddat (the mourning period for a widow in Islam). Her red dupatta was drenched with tears, her eyes were swollen and her face reflected fatigue.
Rabia has lived in this one-room house in C-block for the past 2 years with her late husband, four daughters, Tasmiya Bi (11), Shifa Bi (9), Liba Bi (7), Mahira Bi (2) and their son Tehzeem.
Never before had any of them witnessed a hate crime though they had been made aware of the lives of Muslims in Northeast Delhi due to the riots six years ago.
'While Beating Me, They Said K**ua, Kattar'
Up until 17 February when they got the call from their son.
"I switched off the stove and Umardeen and I ran to our bike to get to Tehzeem. After a few moments, I saw Tehzeem had run half the way and my heart sank when I saw him, only a pair of pants was left on his body, all of his clothes were torn and ripped apart."
Tehzeem told The Quint that he was only returning from tuition classes when he saw a crowd.
On seeing him, the crowd allegedly shouted, "Isko pakdo ye C-3 ka hain." (Catch him, he lives in C-3).
C-3 is an unspoken, understood term colloquially for the Muslim residents of the area, the family stated. "People here refer to Muslims here 'C-3 ke log' in general as only Muslims in this part."
Then the crowd dragged Tehzeem.
"One of them grabbed me, the other held my hands tightly, one hit me with a key and the other hit me with a Kadha (bangle). They forcefully bent my head down so I couldn’t see and they pulled my hair so it was a blur. But they shouted, ‘K**ua, Kattar, isko maaro.’Tehzeem, Umardeen's son
He continued, "It was all a blur but I managed to ran and that is when I called my father."
'My World Was Falling Apart In Front of Me'
Rabia said that when Umardeen reached the spot and his son's condition, he was furious. They saw men who were misbehaving had no remorse. Out of anger and defence, Umardeen retaliated and hit Sunil with his belt a couple of times, she said.
She also went to the men to ask them why they beat Tehzeem as neither did they know Tehzeem nor did they have any kind of conflict or dispute with him.
In that moment, another guy standing atop a terrace shouted, “You wait, I’ll come down and finish you," she recalled.
The main accused, Sunil took out a pistol and started firing at Umardeen and said, “Himayati banke aaya hain apne bete ka.” (He has come to support his son). With anger in his eyes, he was fixated at Umardeen and fired multiple rounds and hit his chest, right where his heart was.
By 6 PM, the family was at the GTB hospital with his body. "The doctor took a look at Umardeen and declared that he had died," said Rabia, her voice choking as she hurriedly took out her mobile phone to show me her husband's body in the hospital.
"Meri duniya loot rhi thi aur main kuch nai karpayi," weeped Rabia. (My world was falling apart and I could not do anything). As Rabia spoke, the children sat silently. With an uneasiness, they looked at Rabia and photos of their father on the hospital bed.
The Quint has seen the photos of his body they show his bullet wound on his chest and blood on his face.
The family has also alleged that the police has not fairly added the other accused in the FIR.
"They have arrested Sunil, who shot my husband, but why have they not booked and arrested the other men who beat up my son?"
The Quint has also accessed the FIR. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 103(1) (Punishment for murder) and section 3(5) (an offence committed by several persons) and section 25 and 27 of the Arms Act.
The FIR only mentions Sunil as the accused but they very inclusion of section 3/5 states establishes joint liability for criminal acts done by several persons for a common intention.
Speaking to The Quint, Advocate Ajay Jain who is fighting this case pro-bono for the family has also questioned this.
"If Section 3(5) was invoked, the investigation must thoroughly examine the role of all possible co-accused. The provision cannot be treated as ornamental or casually inserted. If the FIR speaks of multiple persons acting with common intention, the investigation must either substantiate that through evidence or transparently explain, with material on record, why others are being ruled out."Advocate Ajay Jain
Therefore, Jain said that they have asked for the CCTV footage of the area.
"Our immediate priority is the preservation and examination of the CCTV footage. The entire incident took place within the coverage area of CCTV cameras, and importantly, these are government-installed cameras," he added.
The Quint reached out to the SHO and IO of Nand Nagri police station to question them but we have not received any response yet. We also visited the police station but the police officials were not available then.
The morning of the day had looked completely different for Rabia and her family. On the day of the incident, he had slept till a bit late.
Rabia said that he never let her wash clothes when he was home. So he did some laundry. Tasmiya had to go to school so he made tea for her.
Around 4PM, he said he felt hungry. When I asked him I’ll make something for him.
Umardeen said, as Rabia recalled: “Only make tea and some paratha, tomorrow is Tasmiya’s birthday so we will make Biryani for her.” His last words at home were for his daughter. And that daughter has now spent her first birthday without him. This Ramzan and many more birthdays would be without him.