Jaunpur brothers shot dead in Saudi Arabia

“We have no idea why my sons were killed. I have been told the incident occurred after a heated argument between them and the killer who had come to the workshop as a customer,” said their father Iqbal Ahmed,reached over the phone in his village.

The bodies are lying in a hospital in Taif city. The Indian Embassy in Jeddah has asked the family to send certain documents for getting the possession of the bodies.

Mohammad Zakir and Yaseen had been employed at the workshop,located in Sayl-Sagheer area,for the last six years. They stayed in a rented house,along with elder brothers Hasnain Iqbal and Shakir Ahmed,who worked in a similar workshop some distance away. Hasnain had come home to Jaunpur on September 18 on a visit.

On September 29,Shakir called him and told that Zakir and Yaseen had been rushed to hospital with bullet injuries.

“Next,four hours later,one of my friends informed that both had died and police had picked up Shakir and his two relatives there for questioning. They were released four days later on the intervention of the Indian Embassy,” said Hasnain.

Later,Shakir told Hasnain that he was passing by the workshop around 7.30 am when he saw a crowd gathered at the gate. He stopped and got to know that a Saudi man had shot two workers after an argument. Shakir went inside and saw his brothers lying injured.

Shakhir got to know that three more employees were inside the workshop when the incident took place. “I have asked him to contact them and find out what the dispute was,”said Hasnain.

As the family owned only one bigha land which wasn’t sufficient for them,Zakir Ahmed went to Saudi Arabia about 12 years ago to earn a living. After five years,Yaseen joined him. Later,the two other brothers also went there.

The brothers visited home twice every year,although not always together. Their parents,wives and children,and youngest brother Naseem,who is unmarried,live in the village. The brothers used to send money for them. Yasin had last visited the village four months ago.

The family has decided not to bring bodies to Jaunpur.

“We will send the documents and ask Shakir and relatives in Saudi Arabia to perform the last rites and bury the bodies there,” said Naseem.