Ishaq’s younger brother, Shabbir, said that over the past seven years since his arrest, the family has been able to meet Ishaq just thrice. “From my scrap business I can manage just Rs 60-80 a day and it takes Rs 200 to go to Ahmedabad,” says Shabbir, adding that his brother met the family twice on police parole, when some neighbours and friends pitched in with Rs 10,000. “The four policemen, who come with him, also need to be fed. Else they make haste and don’t let Ishaq free even for the allotted time,” added Shabbir, one of the four brothers of Ishaq. His other family members are laari-owners.

On the other hand, Abdul Sattar recalls the night when the police picked up Ishaq from the shop. “When we went to the police inspector at the Godhra Town Police Station with the doctor's certificate saying that he is blind, they realised that they cannot book him for killing anyone. Next thing we knew was, he was booked for inciting the mob,” said Sattar.

Signal Faliya, where the incident occurred, is about three kilometres from Abdul Sattar’s house. Sattar, who is himself partially blind, said: “We didn’t even let him go to the chowkdi alone, and these policemen say that Ishaq walked all the way to Signal Faliya and shouted slogans from the railway tracks .”

Elsewhere, at Ruhul Amin Hathila’s residence at Chabildas nee Chali, his wife, Najma, could not help beaming over an old photograph of her husband, who had prepared about 50 bail applications of those who have been arrested right after the train carnage by the Godhra police. “We have been married for the last 16 years, but for the last seven years it became unbearable when I had to re-assure the children and his old mother that he will soon be released," says Najma.

... contd.