Seven years later, D'souza talks about how the state government allotted him a house for his commendable work, which turned out to be a disputed property later.
In the fraternity, photojournalist Sebastian D'souza is well known for two things – his humour and the fact that he captured on camera Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist caught alive on November 26, 200. Seven years later, D'souza talks about how the state government allotted him a house for his commendable work, which turned out to be a disputed property later. The then chief minister Ashok Chavan had promised D'souza (64) a house for helping the state government and the Mumbai Police, who later used the famous picture of Kasab with the assault rifle and rucksacks to make a water tight case of terrorist attack against him and others.
A close friend of D'souza told dna, "The property developer had a dispute with the state and the matter was in court. Hence, the developer did not allow Sebastian inside the allotted house. When he approached the department, he was not only not given an alternative allotment but his case was not even heard properly." The friend added that D'souza ran from pillar to post for the house but with no results. After retiring from a Mumbai-based tabloid in 2012, D'souza could not afford the rented house and was left with no option but to shift to towns such as Badlapur and Ambernath. He had to travel to the city for odd jobs. Soon, however, he developed heart ailment and shifted to Goa permanently, where he underwent a bypass surgery this year.
Another disappointed close friend shared that while most people who played an important role at the time were honoured suitably for their contribution, it was sad to see Sebastian being, in a way, dishonoured by the state government. When dna contacted D'souza on November 26 – a day forever etched in his memory – he could not hide his feelings of hurt and dismay. "I did my duty as a photo journalist on that day. I never expected any award or reward in return. But when state government decided to allot me a house, I was naturally happy, since I could never afford a house of my own. All I can say is that I am waiting for the day when the government will respectfully give me my reward," said D'souza, who incidentally happened to be in Mumbai on Thursday to catch a flight to go to meet his daughter in Dubai.
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