(The Quint has been consistently reporting on Delhi riots political prisoners and the ground reality. Exposing hate and communalism is a key focus area in The Quint's reportage. Become a member and help us do more such stories).
“I, Tasleem Ahmed Shah, have been in jail without a trial for five and a half years now...When will my longing for justice come to an end?”
These lines are from one of the letters penned down by Tasleem in Tihar jail.
Tasleem is a name you might have not heard of or read in columns or headlines before, but it is a name infamously linked with the incarceration in Delhi riots 2020.
Forty-five year old Tasleem, much like Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima and others, remains behind the same bars, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) while justice remains elusive.
Tasleem’s story has so far, stayed neglected while his trial is moving at a painstakingly slow pace, taking enough time for his son and daughter to grow up to realise the gravity of the situation.
To understand the story of this forgotten Delhi riots prisoner, The Quint spoke to his wife, Fehmida Khatoon and accessed some sombre poems and letters written by Tasleem from jail.
Tasleem was first arrested from his residence by the special cell of Delhi police on 8 April 2020 in FIR 48/20 related to the road-block that happened under the Jafrabad metro station in North East Delhi.
“The police raided the house in civilian dress, seized our phones, while ransacking our home in alleged search of weapons”, Tasleem’s wife, Fehmida, recalled the horrifying day to The Quint.
Two months later, Tasleem was granted bail in this case, only to be re-arrested on 24 June 2020. This time, in FIR 59/20, charged under the draconian UAPA. Since then, more than five years have passed.
Half a decade without a trial. Half a decade of his daughter asking every day: “When will Abbu come back home?”
Awaiting justice, he wrote from Tihar Jail Number 08:
"My name is Tasleem Ahmed Shah. I have seen many struggles in life, but I never thought that I would be deprived of my rights for raising my voice for the sake of humanity, for what is rightfully ours, our haq, for standing up in this fight against injustice."
“My life has never been easy, but my spirit was never defeated,” wrote Tasleem, who recounted juggling through multiple jobs, from handling accounts in a multi-national company, coordinating for public exams such as SSC, to finally setting up a small coaching centre of his own.
Tasleem's pain, longing and the impact of this incarceration is reflected in these poems he has penned down in Tihar jail.
A few of the lines from one of his poems make it even more evident:
"Hum hin par sitam dhaya jaa rha hain, hum hin ko mujrim bataya jaa raha hain.” (It is we who suffer the tyranny and it is we are being held guilty too).Tasleem Ahmed in his poem from Tihar jail
'Feels Like a Lifetime'
Half a decade of jail can take everything from a person. The longing becomes an eternal weight to bear while being away from the family. In exhaustion, Tasleem has exclaimed in his writing: “It feels like a lifetime”.
His letters also talk about how his imprisonment has overburdened Fehmida as well.
In one of the letters, he mentioned Fehmida, “patiently holding on to her faith," managing the house, fees, and daily needs “under the circumstances” against all odds.
He continued, "She is steadfastly doing her best to bring up the children."
"Our life was very beautiful with our small family. We had no clue it would all shatter like this one day."Fehmida Khatoon, Tasleem’s wife to The Quint
Fehmida stated that the responsibility to look after their two children now lies entirely on her shoulders.
"My husband was the sole bread-winner in the family. After his wrongful arrest, we are on our own," she said.
Therefore, Fehmida has taken up tailoring work to support the family. "The education of my son and daughter is our first priority," she insisted. In the meantime, she continues to juggle between court hearings and jail visits.
Waiting for 'Abbu'
In their last conversation, Tasleem had urged Fehmida to prioritize the education of their children at all costs.
He told her, as Fehmida recalled, "Take good care of children. You have to be both, the mother and father to them. Their tarbiyat (upbringing) and education shouldn’t be impacted because of this. This is the time to think about their future. I don’t know about my release. We thought all of this would be over in 2-3 months."
But five years later, the passage of time is the heaviest burden for Tasleem and his family. A daughter misses her Abbu, a son approaches adulthood and a father remains deprived of witnessing his kids grow up.
You won’t understand, it has been five years like this. My children, who were kids when I was jailed, have grown up now. They have been asking, 'When will my Abbu come home?' for the last five years now. When will the innocent be free and the real culprits in the riots be caught?Tasleem Ahmed in his letter
At home, the void is unbearable. Their daughter, Sara Afreen was just four-and-a-half years old when Tasleem was taken; their son was 11.
“I remember my Abbu each day. The pass the days believing that he will come back today, maybe the next day, but he does not. All my prayers to Allah are for my Abbu’s earliest return. I pray the same to Allah in each namaz (prayer)." Afreen expressed this to Fehmida, she told The Quint.
Fehmida added that now that the children are growing up, Afreen has realised some things herself. "She is aware of the reality now, sometimes, she does not stop crying before going to bed," said Fehmida.
While Tasleem's incarceration has broken the family in more ways than one, it has influenced his daughter to pursue law and try to become a judge in the future. She hopes that she might expedite the fight for justice for her father.
The stigma of imprisonment has forced the family into seclusion. Fehmida has not told their neighbours or the children’s school about Tasleem's incarceration, fearing judgment and gossip.
When their son, Zaki — who recently finished his class 10 boards — tried to get admission for the 11 standard, several schools demanded the presence of both parents.
"We tried to negotiate without disclosing that his father is in jail," recounted Fehmida. "We even filed a bail application citing the admission process but it was denied." After months of struggle, he finally secured a seat in a school.
Nonetheless now, Fehmida and her children want to speak up for Tasleem even if they are scared while doing so.
The struggle reflects how every small, mundane step now requires a longer fight. The cost of Tasleem’s incarceration encircles the children’s future. The absence feels both, emotional and almost tangible.
‘We Thought It Would Be Over by Now’
In these five years, why is it that several other Delhi riots prisoners have made headlines but Tasleem was unheard of?
It was because Fehmida had led with caution.
"Earlier, we avoided talking to the media because we were afraid that if the case came into light, the police might detain or arrest us as well. I had children to look after. We were expecting all of this to get over soon. We never thought it would go on for so many years now," she lamented.
On 29 July, Tasleem was granted a 15-day bail on account of Afreen getting severe jaundice and being unwell. Tasleem urged the family to attend solidarity protests and use their voice so that people can offer their support and in turn, raise their voice.
'Dismissed,' When All It Took was One Word
On 2 September 2025, the Delhi High Court denied the bail plea of Tasleem Ahmed along with Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, Khalid Saifi and others in the Delhi riots larger conspiracy case.
The same judge who asked the police in exasperation, “Five years have gone by... how much time can a person be kept inside?” during an earlier hearing, pronounced the verdict in just in one word: "dismissed."
“He (Tasleem) was weaker this time,” Fehmida recalled their meeting two days after the Delhi High Court's decision.
Fehmida describes it as the hardest moment so far. It was as if all their hopes in the judiciary were shattered.
“Ab tumhe hi dekhna hai bachon ko” (Now you have to look after the children), Tasleem uttered with hopelessness. His hands were trembling while holding the jail telephone. He couldn’t even make eye contact.
Fehmida couldn’t help but try to hold back her own emotions, not wanting him to see her break down. In such a moment of helplessness, she urged him to keep faith and to trust that Allah sees what they are going through.
Our hopes in the judiciary keep shattering. I can’t understand what problem the government has with normal people who stand peacefully for their rights. After all, the government is meant to provide betterment for the citizens, not wrongfully put them in jail.Fehmida to The Quint
The jail visits are exacerbated by long periods of waiting. Court dates are set and pushed forward. For the authorities, Fehmida feels adjournments and delays are routine. For families like hers, “ek-ek second pahaad sa hai” (each second is like a mountain), a weight that presses on children, spouses, and parents.
And Fehmida has turned to her faith.
"Allah is ever watching, and he is witnessing all the injustice. Our faith makes us keep striving forward for justice. The hardship is indeed there, and it continues. But Allah provides rizq for us. I have to look after the children, their education, upbringing, and well-being," stated Fehmida.
Meanwhile, a perturbed Tasleem, in one of his letters, summarised his resistance, his hope to be free one day:
“baatil kitna bhi bhar jaye,
haq humesha us se upar hai”
(No matter how much the evil rises,
Truth will always prevail higher)