BHILWARA: With two police officers on guard 24ร7, Ayush Soni feels far from being a VIP. In fact, the teenager and his family members are living under constant fear โ though the presence of khakis outside their home gives them a semblance of security.
On June 10, Ayush posted a WhatsApp status in support of Nupur Sharma, the suspended BJP spokesperson, and his world tumbled after that. The 17-year-old started getting calls and messages of death threats.
โI wasnโt aware of the consequences. I just posted a WhatsApp status in support of Nupur Sharma and my phone didnโt stop buzzing for the entire day,โ the youngster from Bhilwara said.
Ayushโs maternal home is Potla village, where his sister is married to a shopkeeper. He often visits the village and is familiar to many people from both the communities.
โI was in Bhilwara when I posted that status and people from other communities saw it. I got multiple threatening calls from morning to evening. I work at a shop nearby but got so disturbed that I returned home to tell my family. My parents got worried,โ said Ayush.
โAyush was getting continuous calls and the people on the other side told him that if he ever steps foot in Potla village, consequences will be bad for him. We are a lower-middle-class family and we didnโt want any trouble so I apologized. My son and even my brother visiting us that time also apologized over the phone but the threats didnโt stop,โ said his mother Devki Soni.
Ayush and his family decided not to visit the village for some time but then Kanhaiya Lal was murdered in Udaipur on June 28. That created a panic situation at home. Suddenly, On July 10, news of the demise of Devkiโs aunt arrived from Potla.
It was necessary to visit the relatives at the time of grief but they decided not to take Ayush with them.
โMy husband and I arrived at the village to my auntโs house and we saw around six guys sitting at the entrance of the house waiting for Ayush. They threatened my husband and me, that if my son ever enters the house, they will not spare him. Some people even went to my son-in-lawโs shop to threaten him,โ Devki said, adding, โAfter Kanhaiya Lalโs death and these threats, we decided to do something about it.โ
After discussions with the family members, on July 15, they filed an FIR in Bhilwara. The administration immediately arrested five people in connection with the case. Police are on the lookout for any possible threat against the complainantโs family.
The family, however, is still worried about the future. The mother-in-law of Devkiโs daughter had called up crying many times worrying about her sonโs life.
โI have consoled her and told her not to worry. We have to be strong in this case. But we want to ask what will be in the future? Police security can be given for a few months but what about after that. Who will ensure that our lives will be secure after the situation becomes normal?โ asked Devki with a tense face.
