Govt should compensate us for losses during Amravati violence, say victims

Government officials said the revenue department would begin the panchnama (assessment) to ascertain the losses and prepare a report, and the amount of compensation would be fixed after that.

One of the victims, Feroze Ahmed, 37, whose vehicle repair shop was gutted, said he is now borrowing money from friends and relatives to restart his business. Ahmed lost goods worth Rs 8 lakh in the shop and three two-wheelers of his clients were torched. Ahmed, a school dropout who started this shop in premises rented from his uncle two years ago after years working at other shops, said the vehicle repair shop was his only source of livelhood.

“I have nothing against the mob. We all are Hindustani. The politicians are the real traitors. Due to the losses, I have been unable to eat or sleep thinking about my family’s survival, and the politicians who orchestrated the violence got bail the same day. God will do justice with them,” said Ahmed.

For Shadab Khan, 37, whose shop too was gutted in the arson, life has turned upside down in the last two years. “Before the pandemic, I had employed five men in my shop but I had to let them go as the business had come to a standstill during the lockdown. Now my shop is destroyed and nobody is giving me work. I am ready to work on the footpath but all my tools were gutted in the fire. I suffered losses worth Rs 13 lakh.”

Both men have registered FIRs with the City Kotwali police station. Senior inspector Neelima Araj said they have added sections to seek compensation for them but the court will decide on it.

Santosh Kakde, Tehsildar in Amravati city, said, “I will begin with the assessment work along with officials including engineers from municipality and RTO. After ascertaining the amount of losses suffered by all the victims, we will submit the report to the relief and rehabilitation department.”