Home Demolished After Hubby Named In Nagpur Riots, Wife Alisha Enters Poll Fray

Nagpur: Alisha Khan, 29, wife of the prime accused in the March 2025 Nagpur riots, has entered the electoral fray on an AIMIM ticket from Ward 3D in the city's Ashi Nagar zone. Her husband, Fahim Khan, was jailed for four months and their two-storeyed house razed with bulldozers in an early morning swoop by police and civic authorities, just days after riots rocked the Mahal area.Talking to TOI, Alisha said, while civic authorities acted swiftly to demolish their home, they remain apathetic towards addressing pressing civic issues in the area. "Our ward is among the most backward and underdeveloped in Nagpur. Every monsoon, settlements along Pili river are flooded due to absence of a stormwater network. Govt schools have either shut down or are in a dilapidated state, slums remain unregularised, and there are no emergency medical services. Patients often die while being taken 8km to medical colleges. I want to address these issues," she said.AIMIM, has fielded 17 candidates across Nagpur, four of them from Prabhag 3, including Alisha. Until March 17 last year, Alisha, an SSC pass-out, led an ordinary life, caring for her children and elderly in-laws. Her husband Fahim ran an IT services shop in Yashodhara Nagar and headed the Minorities Democratic Party. However, on night of March 17, 2025, her life dramatically changed. "My husband's time in prison taught me how to raise my voice against injustice. We have no fear now," Alisha said, standing beside her husband.Acknowledging her resilience, Fahim said he witnessed a remarkable transformation in his wife. "I found her a changed woman. She managed our children, my elderly parents, and the court case, even as our house was demolished by civic authorities and I was tossed behind bars. She emerged with leadership qualities and confidence, which is why we decided to field her from our home turf," he said.The Khan family's Yashodara Nagar house, registered in Fahim's mother's name, was razed over alleged lack of permissions. By the time the family secured a court stay, the structure was razed. "The official notice mentions a 90 sqft violation, but the entire authorised 800 sqft construction was bulldozed. We challenged this action," Alisha said. Fahim was later granted bail by a sessions court after spending four months in jail.Fahim said after being projected as a communal face, prospects of securing a BJP or Congress ticket were bleak. "AIMIM always stood with the oppressed. We are confident of a win," he said.