HYDERABAD: Liyaquath Ali Khan alias Zahed, who was mowed down by a speeding car while trying to put up a board to alert commuters to a huge pothole in front ahead of the Louis Braille flyover at Chaderghat, is mourned not just by his family, but all those who have known him. Zahed was 52 and has lived all his life in Chaderghat. His family described him as a pious person who went that extra mile to help others. “He was a blessing to us,” his family members said.
The sole breadwinner of the family, Zahed had drifted from job to job to feed his dependents till he started working at the Sohail Hotel, in front of which the mishap occurred. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. In fact, he was searching for a suitable alliance for his eldest daughter when he passed away.
His younger brother Barkat Ali Khan alias Sajid said Zahed has been working at the Sohail Hotel for the past five years and had been saving for his eldest daughter’s wedding. “My brother was pious in nature. There is actually no need to say so. He died trying to save others, he is a martyr for us and for society,” Sajid said.
He added that it was the firm belief of his family that when one dies doing something good for others, that person is considered a martyr. “We as a family firmly believe that Zahed is in heaven,” Sajid said, adding that the family is praying for him.
“We are overwhelmed at the number of people expressing their grief and mourning Zahed’s passing. Everyone we know, and many who we do not know, turned up for the funeral. His colleagues in Sohail Hotel, family, relatives and neighbours, close to 2,000 people turned up for the funeral,” Sajid said.
Was saving up for wedding
Victims’s younger brother Barkat Ali Khan alias Sajid said Zahed had been saving for his eldest daughter’s wedding. “My brother was pious in nature. There is actually no need to say so. He died trying to save others, he is a martyr for us and for society,” Sajid said. He added that it was the firm belief of his family that when one dies doing something good for others, that person is considered a martyr
Close to 2,000 turn up for funeral
His family described him as a pious person who went that extra mile to help others. “He was a blessing to us,” his family members said. “We are overwhelmed at the number of people expressing their grief and mourning Zahed’s passing. Everyone we know, and many who we do not know, turned up for the funeral. His colleagues in Sohail Hotel, family, relatives and neighbours, close to 2,000 people turned up for the funeral,” Sajid said.
Blame game continues over filling up pothole
While the family of Liyaquath Ali Khan alias Zahed mourns his passing, blame game over who is responsible for the mishap continued on Thursday between the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Traffic Police Department.Both the GHMC and traffic cops blame the other for the pothole remaining unfulfilled despite the road being among the busiest.
About three years ago, the TSSPDCL dug up the roads to lay cables underground and covered it with a cement slab. The slab caved in due to the recent rains that lashed the city creating a decent sized pothole. On Tuesday, Zahed was witness to a biker falling due to this pothole and later in the evening, he tried to put up a signboard to alert others of the danger. It was at that time a speeding four-wheeler knocked him down. The car sped away and remains untraced.
Locals said the road connects places like LB Nagar, Dilsukhnagar, Afzalgunj and since the pothole is just a few feet from the flyover, vehicles often skid and lose control, resulting in many unreported mishaps. On Tuesday alone, six incidents took place, locals say.
When asked if any complaints were registered regarding the pothole, they said that they tried to reach the departments concerned — the GHMC and Traffic Police — who kept passing the buck to each other.The day following the accident, barricades and signages were seen but the pothole was not closed.