Sheikh Syed bin Abdul Rahman Bawazeer: Seeking Protection Amidst Threats

HYDERABAD: Whistleblower Sheikh Syed bin Abdul Rahman Bawazeer could sense the danger to his life and made several attempts to get protection, his friends and family said.

Mohammed Mazood, a friend of Bawazeer's, said: "On August 9, Bawazeer called me and said that he was acquitted in seven of nine cases, but he has a life threat from Ahmed Saadi and Abdulla Saadi (MIM leaders from Jalpally)."

He said that since the last week of May, Bawazeer had been approaching the Chandrayangutta police to lodge a complaint against the Saadis but the police were ignoring him.

Bawazeer's relatives said that he had lodged a complaint with the police commissioner, mentioning the names of Abdulla and Ahmed Saadi. They said that Bawazeer, because of constant threats from the accused, did not get married and changed his house twice.

They said that Bawazeer had contacted home minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, who, on the phone, reportedly assured him of action. When he went to the minister's residence, the minister did not meet him.

Bawazeer's family members alleged that the police were tampering with the evidence and supporting the accused due to their influential positions.

"After the accused Ahmed bin Hajeb was arrested and placed in the Kanchanbagh police station, how did the police allow him to post a video on social media stating that he murdered my brother," Bawazeer's brother asked.

He said that the murder was captured on CCTV cameras but the police deleted the footage to protect the accused.

Sources said that social media posts revealed the conspiracy behind the murder, following which the police arrested the accused. Even as Bawazeer had around 5,000 social media followers, lakhs of viewers took in the posts, with over 2,500 taking part in his last rites.

According to sources, the MIM is likely to suspend Ahmed and Abdullah Saadi from the party.