Cops bang wrong doors, say sorry

According to Godhra Town police, they conducted the search at Ruqiyyah8217;s house becasue of a wrong tip they received from their sources. Godhra Town Police Inspector was not available for his comment on the issue.

However, Ruqiyyah has a different tale. 8220;Police officials have been coming here and harassing us since 2003, when a car purchased by my husband was found to be a stolen one,8221; said Ruqiyyah, whose husband Mehboob Mohammed was later acquitted by the court as no evidence was found against him.

8220;Since then, these policemen would come and trouble us. Sometimes they even call us terrorists. My husband has gone to Cochin for some work,8221; said Ruqiyyah. Mehboob had lost his job after a unit of Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation GIDC shut down. Ruqiyyah is the sole earning member of the family, while Mehboob gets work contracts occasionally.

On the night of November 27, police officials knocked on the door of Ruqiyyah8217;s house.

8220;I refused to open the door until some neighbours were up because of the banging. My relation with the neighbours has also got spoilt because of the incident. They think we are terrorists,8221; said Ruqiyyah. She said that after her husband lost the job, they did not plan a family as they would not be able to afford to take care of a child.