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Expressindia � Story

To get job in Surat, Muslim took Hindu name; revealed when he was killed

Kamaal Saiyed
Posted: Dec 29, 2009 at 0522 hrs IST

Surat All Mehboob Pathan (50) of Valak village on Surat�s outskirts wanted was a job in the city. Having a Muslim name, he felt, came in the way. So, to get himself a job in Surat�s diamond units, he passed himself off as Jayenti Bhatti, and managed to find work in two separate units in the Kapodara area.

Early this week, his �cover� was blown, after he was brutally killed over a monetary dispute. As the distraught family stepped forward to admit that Jayenti Bhatti was indeed Mehboob Pathan, they worried that having been cremated as a Hindu, the practising Muslim�s soul may not find peace.

In the ledgers of Surat�s diamond units, there are many leading a double life like Pathan. His son Mushtaq is registered as Mukesh and daughter Samina as Sharmila, and both are afraid of losing their jobs if the fact was known.

Diamond industry sources and workers say many Muslims assume Hindu names to find work in the city�s lucrative diamond business.

One of them, Allarakha Khan, admits to having passed himself off as a Hindu like many others from his village. �We would not get a job if we are known to be Muslims. We have been doing this for a long time, and we take great care not to reveal our real names or addresses at work,� he told The Indian Express.

Rohit Mehta, president of the Surat Diamond Association, however, denied knowledge of Muslims passing themselves off as Hindus for jobs. �We will inquire into this,� he said.

Pathan�s story came to be known after his body was found in a farm at Antroli last Monday, with the head smashed in. The police registered a case and kept the unclaimed body in the Palsana Primary Health Centre mortuary till Thursday. Then they arranged to give Pathan alias Bhatti a Hindu funeral, with all the rites.

His family, who had been looking for Pathan, had filed a missing complaint. Then, seeing news stories in local newspapers about an unclaimed body, Mehboob�s brother-in-law Iqbal Pathan decided to check. By that time, Pathan had been cremated, but the brother-in-law identified him from a photo of the body.

The family says Pathan was a pious Muslim and the change of name was just so that he and his children could find and keep a job. �We are too poor to do anything, but how could the police dispose of his body the Hindu way?� asks son Mushtaq. �A genital examination would have shown he was a Muslim.�

Sub-Inspector of Kadodara police V R Malhotra said they had kept the body in the mortuary hoping someone would turn up. �We disposed it of according to Hindu rites not knowing he was a Muslim. The family turned up too late and we are now helpless.�

Kapodara police inspector S J Tirmizi, who is probing the murder, confirmed that Pathan had passed himself off as Bhatti for work. Manoj Rokad, who is the manager of the Varachha unit in which Pathan�s daughter Samina works as a diamond polisher, has reportedly confessed to the murder.

According to the police, Rokad had become a family friend of the Pathans and knew their real identities. Two years ago, Pathan had reportedly loaned Rokad Rs 60,000 for an emergency, which he never returned. Pathan used to call Rokad repeatedly asking him to return the same, and the latter reportedly asked Pathan to meet him on December 20. They went to Antroli village, where Rokad allegedly killed Pathan with the help of two other diamond polishers, who have been identified as Chhanya Rathod and Sanjay.

While Rokad has been held, and has reportedly admitted that they beat Pathan to death, Rathod and Sanjay are on the run.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/To-get-job-in-Surat-Muslim-took-Hindu-name-revealed-when-he-was-killed/560929/

Yes, i do love my country. You know naren, every muslim is a muslim first and then a nationalist. It does n't mean i don't love my country. So am looking for justice. I did not dig up those injustices done in the past and are over , but am addressing the problems muslims are facing today.

Did you read the fresh news of muslims in Gujrat ? ANd you want be to stay quiet ! Am sorry for being frustrating, i just want that Modi to be hanged ! then would i agree that there's justice done with muslims in India. Insha Allah, shall share in my next post.





Edited by seekshidayath - 30 December 2009 at 10:17pm

Hello Naren,

Thanx for your wishes of Eid.

You said:
hey had been at war for centuries. Even Hindus suffered and their temples raged under the Muslim rule, didn't they? Muslims have been harsh towards Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis under their rule. Yet Hindus wanted their country to be secular while others preferred otherwise.

You may not agree but its a fact Naren that muslims did not destroy temples. We get to read of Auragazeb, and other muslims. Its all false.

You said :
Muslims have been harsh towards Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis under their rule

Kindly prove it to me by citing examples wherein muslims of India have been harsh to those religions you mentioned.

You said :

SO WHY TO THINK OF THE PAST WHEN WE CAN CREATE A BEAUTIFUL FUTURE TOGETHER? Why to talk about the politics those people in white, saffron or green create? It is upto us people to have a positive view about the future.

I dream of better future of muslims in India, when we get our past justified. How can you say that Naren ? Shall we not seek for justice ? Those ancient times you cited above, may or may not be true. But right now,even if i agree with you, let me tell you, we were not united geographically as INDIA. We did not have any constitution. We had no courts of justice. Now, when we do have all these, shall we not claim for justice !

The past am discussing is not yet solved. Its continuing in the present times as well. Shud we quietly bear. Its not matter of one or two incidents. Its recurring to us.

Now, to the question, what do we get out of discussions. Let me take up one example. From this page itself. EARLIER, did we all not know that it were terrorists at Batla house and police encountered them. There was lots of discussions then India, and we muslims were again under doubtful eyes, viewed as TERRORISTS. And the recent sharing of the article, of Batla house, above, clearly lets us know about conscpiracy against us.

Reg, discussion of other injustices such as Babri Masjid - apart from demolition of masjid, there were riots all over India. Shud these people not be condemned. Am using my right of speech. Am not provocating readers, but its important that we be aware and alert. If possible fight for justice thru the best we possess. Am nothing, but the best i can do is, share such articles amongst people.

Next time, when Indian readers, watch encounters of muslims, they may not be certain if they were real terrorists, They get reminded of Batla house conspiracy.Is n't it ?