Ahmedabad man shot in Christchurch terrorist attack

AHMEDABAD: A 65-year-old man from the

Juhapura

area of the city suffered a bullet wound at one of the two mosques in central

Christchurch

in New Zealand, where a gunman indiscriminately fired on worshippers on Friday.


Mehboob Khokhar, a retired Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) employee went to New Zealand two months ago with his wife, Akhtar Begum (65) to meet his son, Imran Khokhar (28), who lives in the Philipstown suburb of Christchurch.

Khokhar’s son-in-law, Hafiz Khokhar, who also lives in Juhapura, said they fear for Mehboob’s life.

“Imran told us that my father-in-law was wounded when he went to the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch for Jumma namaz (Friday prayers).

A gunman opened fire on people inside the mosque and my father-in-law was also shot,” Hafiz told TOI.

Mehboob was rushed to hospital by the authorities but the family was not given details about his condition. “Imran and his mother were not told whether Mehboob had survived. They (authorities) did not allow them to enter and see him,” said Hafiz.

Mehboob retired as a deputy engineer in GEB five years ago. Imran went to New Zealand in 2010 for higher studies andset up a courier and transport services company in Phillipstown after his course. The Khokhars went to New Zealand after Imran insisted that his parents visit him.

At least one gunman killed 49 person and wounded more than 40 during Friday prayers at two mosques in Christchurch.

The Al Noor mosque was packed with worshippers, including members of the Bangladesh cricket team.

Three men and a woman have been detained in the case. One of the men was later charged with murder and the two others remained in custody, though their role in the attacks was not clear.