Mohammad Altaf Shah, 27, is battling for his life at Ward No 17 of the Shri Maharja Hari Singh Hospital. Outside, his wife Afira Altaf, with four-month-old baby in her lap, is praying for his life.

Shah, an imam at a mosque in Rajbagh was shot at inside his house, located just outside a CRPF camp. His wife, the sole witness to the assault, alleges CRPF to be behind the attack. CRPF has constituted an inquiry.

“Somebody called my husband by his name and asked him to open the door around 1.45 at night,” Afira said. “I shouted from inside, what is the problem? They replied ‘We are policemen and have to search the mosque’.”

When Shah opened the door, the man outside started firing, said the wife. She claimed that the gunman was in a CRPF uniform. “I could see only his leg and masked face.” Hundreds of people took to the streets in Rajbagh today to protest against the attack.