Danish battles for life, his brother decides to leave Dadri village

27-year-old Mohammad Sartaj has not slept since the day his father Ikhlaq was lynched and brother Danish was beaten up as punishment for allegedly eating beef on Eid and 'storing it' for later consumption. "He wanted to appear for the civil services exam, but now everything is on hold. He is not in a condition to sit for the exam. Maybe he never will be," Sartaj told Mail Today.

Working as a technician with the Indian Air Force, Sartaj was in Chennai when he got a phone call from his sister about the dastardly incident that has sent shockwaves across the country. While he could not save his father, he is doing everything he can to save his brother.

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"I pray to Allah day and night. What wrong did we do to deserve this? My father is gone, but I don't want my brother to leave us. Whatever his condition may be, we will take care of him," Sartaj said, after doing his evening namaz.

The family has been facing its worst fears. "We are scared to go back home in Dadri. As soon as Danish gets discharged from the hospital, we will move to some other locality. We will leave the village that has been home to us all these years. The horror of the incident will haunt us forever," Sartaj said.

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"Since my father is no more, I will have to take the responsibility of my family. And all I want is their safety. Even if our relatives ask us to move back to Dadri at a later stage, I will think twice. The village will never be the same for us again," he said.

Bleak future

His family has never witnessed any Hindu-Muslim riots in the village. "My brother's future is bleak. He will never fully recover. Doctors are saying his condition is still critical," he said.

The family has been living in Bisara village for the past 70-80 years. Sartaj said Danish was shattered when the Muzaffarnagar riots took place in 2013. "He used to say that due to some bad elements in society, others have to suffer. He told me once we should do something to educate people and spread awareness among them," Sartaj told Mail Today.

Sartaj cleared the entrance examination to join the Indian Air Force as a technician right after he completed his higher secondary education in 2007. During his first posting in Hyderabad, he enrolled in a part-time graduation course in Geography from Osmania University. Soon after, he was posted in Chennai. He is now studying for a post-graduation degree.

"My brother and I have been extremely close to each other. He used to discuss everything with me. We were one soul. When I left home seven years ago to pursue my professional goals, he was the one who was affected the most," Sartaj said.

"He did not take any decision without consulting me," he added.

Danish, who is admitted to Kailash hospital in Noida, is battling for life. The 22-yearold has been in the Intensive Care Unit for the last four days and has already had two complicated brain surgeries. Danish had recently filled the form for Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC).

Doctors at Kailash hospital are monitoring his condition closely. "There is a major injury on his head, specifically on the brain. He was admitted four days ago and has been on the ventilator since then. He is trying to recognise his family members when they come to see him. His brother has been here in the hospital throughout. We are putting Danish on and off the ventilator to monitor his condition. He is still critical," Dr Varun Bhargav, neurosurgeon from Kailash hospital who operated on Danish, told Mail Today.

"He is lifting his hands to respond to queries. He is improving slowly. We are getting his blood tests done at regular intervals to check the level of improvement," he added.