'My sons committed a crime. They should have faced trial in court, not shot', says YouTuber Saleem Wastik attackers’ father

GHAZIABAD: Buniyad Ali, whose two sons were killed in police encounters on March 1 and 3 after emerging as prime suspects behind the attack on businessman and YouTuber Saleem Wastik, said police should have produced them in court, not gunned them down.

"They committed a crime. Police should have arrested them and taken them to court. They deserved a trial," he told TOI on Thursday.


Buniyad said he was not aware of his sons' plans or why they attacked Wastik. Police shot Ghulfam dead in an encounter in Vasundhara on March 3, less than 48 hours after his younger brother Zeeshan was killed in a shootout in Loni.

According to cops, the brothers — who worked as carpenters and lived in Khoda Colony — were identified through CCTV footage after Wastik was stabbed at his office in Loni on Feb 27.

Police said they scanned footage from more than 200 CCTV cameras. In one clip, the duo is seen riding away on a bike moments after the attack on Wastik, with blood stains on their clothes, the cops claimed.

Buniyad, who is based in Amroha, said a police team had come looking for Zeeshan and Ghulfam a few days earlier. "I told them both my sons lived in Khoda Colony in Ghaziabad. Then one of the officers told me that my sons were involved in an attempted murder case," he added.

Buniyad said he tried calling his two sons, but their phones were switched off. "I told police that whenever they came to Amroha, I would be the first person to alert the cops."

Police, according to Buniyad, called him between 1am and 2am on Monday to inform him of Zeeshan's death. The family travelled to Ghaziabad, collected the body from the mortuary and performed the last rites in Amroha. "Two days later, I was shocked to learn that Ghulfam had been shot dead too," he said.

Buniyad has seven children, with Ghulfam the eldest and Zeeshan the youngest. Ghulfam is survived by his wife and two children. Zeeshan was single.

The two brothers had been living in Khoda Colony for two years after shifting from Amroha. Zeeshan completed Class XII, while Ghulfam studied till high school. They learnt carpentry from their father.

"If they indeed attacked the YouTuber, it was a reckless decision," Buniyad said, adding the motorcycle the brothers were seen riding in CCT footage of the attack belonged to their uncle in Delhi.

Zeeshan and Ghulfam lived in a rented room in Khoda, which was locked on Thursday. A neighbour said some youths used to visit them daily but claimed he did not know much about the brothers, who kept to themselves.