Even as the news of Kafeel Ahmed’s death broke on Friday morning, his family refused to believe that the man identified as Kafeel was actually their son.

“There has been no communication to us from the British authorities regarding Kafeel’s identification, ever since the media reported that he was allegedly involved in the botched car bombing at Glasgow airport on June 30. We have only seen and read about his and his younger brother — Sabeel’s involvement in the terror attack,” said a family source.

No communication
“There’s also been no communication regarding them between the British and Indian High Commission. It’s more than a month since the incident took place. If what has appeared in the media is true, the concerned authorities should have informed us by now. We have not received any phone or mail from them”, added the source.

The family has still not left the hope that Mr Kafeel will return after completing his “confidential project”.

“He said he would call once he successfully completes it. We did speak to Sabeel 10 days back, during his detention. He sounded normal and enquired about us. He said he is okay”, the source added further.

Mr Sabeel, dressed in a white sweatshirt, had reportedly looked calm, when he deposed before the court in England on July 10. Mr Kafeel’s parents, Dr Maqbool and Zakia Ahmed and their daughter Sadia Kauser maintain that the man, who allegedly drove the flaming jeep into the airport terminal, is someone else, not Kafeel.

The source also added, “forget calling us, the British police could have taken Sabeel to identify the man. They have not even done that”.

But what is surprising is that the family has also not tried to contact the authorities or send someone, like in Haneef’s case, to help their sons. “The lawyers handling Mr Sabeel’s case have advised them to not speak to media and that they will handle the issue there. Moreover, Dr Maqbool is unwell and he cannot go or be left alone”, said Bangalore-based lawyer, B T Venkatesh.

He is in touch with the family. The Ahmeds on Friday remained indoors and refused to meet the media.

“They are being hounded by media. Their relatives and friends are hesitant to meet them because they are grilled by journalists, posted outside their residence in Banashankhari Second  Stage. So far, they have not received any news regarding Mr Kafeel”, he said.

Info from TV screens 
It was a Friday when news of the involvement of the brothers-Kafeel and Sabeel Ahmed, in the failed car bombing broke. It was yet another Friday, when the news of Mr Kafeel’s death was flashed on TV channels — the only source for the Ahmeds to know about their sons.

People, after their namaz in the masjid facing their house, said they were not aware of Mr Kafeel’s death.

“We have learnt it only through you people. The Ahmeds don’t meet anyone in the colony and in the last one month, they have completely shut down,” said Mohammed, a neighbour.  An elderly man, probably, a relative of the Ahmeds, was mobbed by the media when he tried to enter their house on Friday afternoon. The man, carrying an airbag, had obviously come to stay with them. “Have a heart! Don’t be so inhuman. The family is going through enough trauma..leave them alone,” he said.

As he walked away, the photographers followed him to get their only photo opportunity for the day.

Attempts to shoo media
“Go away.....move away,” shouted Dr Maqbool Ahmed feebly at the media persons from behind the window of the room facing the road. Ironically, his was the only voice that could be heard from inside the house, which has remained shut for the last one month, ever since the news of involvement of his sons — Kafeel and Sabeel- in the failed car bombing in Glasgow grabbed world news headlines.

Though the windows of their bungalow are open, nothing can be seen, as they are synthetic, covered with mesh.
As Dr Maqbool tried to shoo media persons away, his daughter, Sadia, pulled him back. Her advice to her ailing father was hardly audible from behind the mesh. And then all was quiet.

The lone cane chair in the sit-out in ‘Kausar’ — Ahmeds’ residence, is covered with dust, lending evidence to the fact that nobody has occupied it for a long time. Strangely, the black granite name plate outside the house with the names of Kafeel Ahmed, Sabeel Ahmed and Sadia  has cracked, cutting across Mr Kafeel’s name.

Body yet to be claimed
Bangalore, dhns: The media relations officer of Strathclyde police Berley Bell told Deccan Herald over phone from Glasgow that the body would be returned to next to the kin and that nobody had claimed it so far.

When queried why the identification has not been made, she refused to comment. Ms Bell only said: “We can confirm that the man seriously injured during the course of the incident at Glasgow airport on Saturday, June 30, had died in Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

The man died last evening and the circumstances surrounding the death have been reported to the procurator fiscal”.