Mumbai attacks: Surat-based yarn merchant’s son among those killed

Feroz’s father Jamil had shifted to Surat from Sant Kabirnagar district in Uttar Pradesh a long time ago and had started a yarn business. Feroz was the second among his eight children, five sons and three daughters.

After his marriage in 2002, Feroz shifted to Mumbai along with his wife and continued the family business at Mumbai Central. On Friday morning, Feroz’s family members in Surat learnt about his death after they received a call from J J Hospital. Jamil left for Mumbai soon after, along with his wife Mehrunnissa, after learning about their son’s death. Feroz’s family members took custody of the body on Friday evening and performed the final rites on Saturday morning.

Feroz’s uncle Athar Hussain said: “Feroz was accompanied by his two relatives, Maksud Ahmed (27) and Ikhlaq Khan (29). The three were present in Lalmani’s room on the second floor when they heard gunshots and left the room soon after. They climbed down the stairs towards the ground floor and spotted three teenagers wielding AK-47 rifles. Before Feroz and the other two could do anything, they were shot by the terrorists.”

In a telephonic conversation, Jamil said that Feroz was a cool-headed person and never quarrelled with anyone. “He was running our yarn business at the Mumbai office and often came to Surat with his wife, Ameena, and his three children, Irfan, Ayan and Shifa. His last visit to Surat was during Diwali and we were expecting him in Surat during Bakri- Id.”

Feroz’s mother Mehrunnissa said: “The terrorists should be handed over to the relatives and family members of the deceased. They should be killed in public. Feroz was very close to me and brought sweets for me every time he came to Surat. He spoke to me regularly. Islam does not teach killing innocents.”

At Rampura in Surat, where the family resides, there was a visible calm after residents learnt about the sad demise of Feroz.