Bulldozer action against rat miner Wakeel Hassan, who headed team that evacuated 41 trapped workers from Uttarkashi tunnel; his home in Delhi demolished

New Delhi, February 28: The home of Wakeel Hassan, who led the group of rat miners who saved the lives of 41 trapped workers in Uttarkashi’s Silkyara tunnel, has been arbitrarily bulldozed by the Delhi Development Authority. According to several media reports, DDA authorities brought a bulldozer and demolished Wakeel Hassan’s house on Wednesday, February 28. Hassan was also allegedly detained by the police when his house was razed to the ground.

उत्तरकाशी में 41 मजदूरों की जान बचाने वाले रेट माइनर वकील हसन के घर को बुलडोजर से तोड़ दिया गया ,
वकील हसन ने देश के लिए इतना कुछ किया और सरकार ने उसका इनाम घर पर बुलडोजर से तोड़कर दिया , pic.twitter.com/vxOz80UjfL
— Nargis Bano (@NargisBano70) February 28, 2024

In one more case of unilateral, illegal action, Hassan alleged that the DDA had not issued any notice to him before demolishing his house. “My house was the only thing that I had asked for as a reward, but the DDA demolished my house without any notice,” he said, adding that the government had promised not to in any way touch his house. Hassan owns Delhi-based Rockwell Enterprises.

Hassan’s team declined to accept relief amount for heroic act:

Hassan and his team of rat miners was called to Silkyara on November 15 last year when all efforts to rescue 41 trapped workers from a collapsed tunnel had not yielded desired results. His team had dug the last stretch of the tunnel that led to the successful evacuation of 41 trapped workers. Significantly, they had refused to accept the relief amount announced by Uttarakhand Chief Minister for their heroic act. They had even been “invited” to Delhi there after by the powers that be.

Reacting to this apalling case, TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose termed the demolition of Hassan’s house “tragic” and “shameful”. “The valiant Wakeel Hassan the rat miner who with his team rescued 41 workers trapped in the Uttarkashi’s Silkyara tunnel, drilling by hand to get to the trapped men, today has his home demolished. Once feted as a hero today he is homeless after a DDA demolition drive. Is this how we reward our bravest citizens?” she asked on X.