Evicted After Article 370 Abrogation, Kashmiri Singer Hopes to Get His Mumbai House Back After Police Intervention

Mumbai: Aadil Gurezi, a Kashmiri singer who was evicted from his rented house in Mumbai’s Andheri five days ago, allegedly because of abrogation of Article 370 in the Valley, is hopeful of getting the house back after Mumbai police’s intervention.

Gurezi, 24, had been living in the house for almost two years. Last month, he had gone to his hometown in Kashmir after paying his rent and renewing the agreement, and couldn’t contact anybody back in Mumbai after communication was snapped due to Article 370 in the Valley.

When he returned on September 4, he was barred from entering the house. “There were a lot of issues back in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. I managed to return to Mumbai. My parents were also happy that I was working here but I couldn’t believe when my brokers called to tell me that because of the tension in Kashmir, they can’t let me stay in the house. They were also shocked to find that I was able to reach Kashmir and come back. Before leaving, I had made the payment and finished all procedures for agreement renewal and the agreement was also ready,” Gurezi said.

The ultimatum from his brokers left him shaken and he wandered the city in rain for a few hours, not knowing what to do. “Thankfully, my friends helped me and now I’m staying at their house. But I’ve never faced this kind of a discrimination in the past.”

The brokers told Gurezi they cannot help him until the issues in Kashmir get resolved. “I couldn’t even inform my parents about all this because of the communication blackout back home,” he said.

“I did try to reason it out with them, saying I’m a youngster who is in Mumbai to make a career in singing. I asked them, ‘how will I be of any harm to anybody just because there was some tension back in Kashmir?’,” he added.

Help came his way after Mumbai police got to know of his situation via media. “I received a called from Mumbai police commissioner who assured me that I will get the house back and will be protected.” Soon after that, the brokers contacted him. “I think they are willing to give me the house back. I’m thankful to the police and media,” he said.