Forty days after a 15-year-old Muslim girl died by suicide, naming her harassers in a note, her family is still waiting for justice and to take possession of the house they bought with their life savings.
The family, residents of Gomtipur in Ahmedabad, say their dream of buying a home across from their rented space turned into a nightmare of harassment, violence and bureaucratic obstacles tied to Gujarat’s Disturbed Areas Act — a law they say was weaponised against them because they are Muslim.
Ten months ago, the family purchased the house from their Hindu neighbour, Suman Sonavde. By December 2024, the full payment was made. But before the handover could take place, Sonavde died. His son, Dinesh, who lives on the upper floor of the building, refused to hand over the property, citing the Disturbed Areas Act, which restricts property transactions in designated areas.
What should have been a simple transaction soon escalated into a bitter dispute that drew in local Hindutva groups, grew increasingly communal, and, according to the family, led to months of harassment.
On August 7, Dinesh and his relatives allegedly attacked Saniya and her younger brother. Two days later, Saniya died by suicide, leaving behind a note naming Dinesh and his associates.
“Because of them, there has been no joy in my house for the last 10 months, only tears and fighting,” she wrote in her suicide note, seen by Maktoob.
Her eldest sister told Maktoob that the family had been humiliated for months. “They dragged her by her hair, beat her and kicked my brother. She killed herself waiting for someone to save us.”
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.