Hundreds gather for the funeral of tragic dad who died during police swoop

A BELOVED family man, a gentleman, and a peaceful and law-abiding citizen.
The funeral of Nazim Din at the Bilal Mosque in Harehills, LeedsThe funeral of Nazim Din at the Bilal Mosque in Harehills, Leeds
The funeral of Nazim Din at the Bilal Mosque in Harehills, Leeds

Those were the words used to describe Nazim Din, as hundreds of mourners gathered for his funeral in Harehills, Leeds yesterday.

The devoted father and grandfather, 54, died of a suspected heart attack during a police raid at his home last week.

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A private ambulance bearing the words to the traditional Islamic prayer for the recently departed, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah and to him we return’, carried Mr Din’s coffin to the Bilal Mosque in Harehills. He was later buried at the city’s Cottingley cemetery.

The funeral of Nazim Din at the Bilal Mosque in Harehills, LeedsThe funeral of Nazim Din at the Bilal Mosque in Harehills, Leeds
The funeral of Nazim Din at the Bilal Mosque in Harehills, Leeds

Among those gathering to pay tribute was Jahangir Bashir, a relative of Mr Din’s, who said: “He was a gentleman. He was a law abiding person. He was very pleasant, helpful to a lot of people. He had a lot to live for.” He added Mr Din’s family were finding things “very tough”.

As reported in the YP yesterday, four police officers have been suspended as an independent watchdog continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse and death of the former taxi boss as officers swooped to arrest one of his sons at his home in Wortley on August 28.

Mr Din had a suspected heart attack while apparently trying to tell police that they had arrested the wrong son over a criminal damage allegation. He was not being arrested himself.

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A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police confirmed the force had suspended two police officers and two PCSOs as part of the ongoing investigation by the IPCC, and was “providing its full cooperation”.

Mr Din’s family were finally be able to lay him to rest after three separate post mortems.

Nephew Saeed Khan had earlier told the YP his uncle’s tragic death happened during a period of celebration, when many members of his family – including his elderly mother – had flown to Pakistan to take part in another relative’s wedding. Mr Din’s mum Saira Bi, who is in her 80s, flew back to England the day after her son’s death. Other family members had also been flying back over the last few days.

Paying tribute last week, Mr Din’s family said he was “a loving husband and a doting father of five children”. “Nazim had much to live for and did not deserve to die in the way that he did,” the family said. “He was a law-abiding and peaceful man.”

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