The day after

Family of 10 mourns its only earner, another refuses compensation, only justice will do

Unlike the Mumbai train blasts that targeted office-goers, yesterday8217;s Malegaon blasts showed almost no prejudice to the victim8217;s economic status. They hit people ranging from beggars, fruit vendors to school and college-going students.

The Bagban family lost its sole breadwinner Anees Bagban, 27, in the blast that took place at the Mushawarat Chowk near the Bada Kabrastan. 8220;My son was feeding a family of 10 on his own. I don8217;t know how we are going to survive without him,8221; Abdul Ghani Bagban 50, his father said, standing outside his jhuggi in the Nayapura locality.

Anees, a fruit vendor by profession, leaves behind him two children Danish, 5, and Shoaib, 2, his wife Alamnoor, parents and an unmarried sister and a brother.

Anees as usual had set up his stall along with his uncle Abdul Aziz about 200 metres away from the Hamdiya Masjid, close to where one of the bombs went off. 8220;I don8217;t know how Rs 1 lakh compensation will suffice for Anees8217; children and wife. We are praying to the government that they offer a job to one of the family members,8221; said Anees8217; cousin Abdul Kadir.

However, there is one family, which does not want compensation and refused to take the money when it was offered to them in the presence of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Sonia Gandhi.

8220;We don8217;t want this money, all that we want is that those who perpetuated this crime be brought to book,8221; said Abdul Qayoom, who last two of his grandsons, one of whom was about to make a trip to China for pursuing his MBBS.

Sajid Ahmed Shafique, 18, and Shahbaz Anjum Shakeel, 17, were on their way from the Rahmani Masjid to the Bada Kabrastan when the explosion occurred.

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8220;Sajid was an extremely intelligent boy. He had just scored over 80 per cent in his HSC exams and was looking forward to his educational trip to China on October 7,8221; said Qayoom, who had acted as a foster father to the sons of his nephews.