Mob Assault on Muslim Schoolboys in Maharashtra’s Latur Raises Questions Over Police Response
Three schoolboys were allegedly tied to a pole and beaten by a mob as criticism grows over the handling of the case by police.
Three Muslim schoolboys aged between 13 and 15 were allegedly tied to a pole and severely beaten by a group of men in Kharola village of Renapur taluka in Maharashtra’s Latur district on July 10. The boys were accused of stealing electric wires and were reportedly assaulted with belts, electric wires, and pipes.
A video of the incident, which was allegedly recorded by one of the attackers, later spread widely on social media and sparked public outrage.
According to The Wire, the boys’ parents rushed to the scene after learning about the assault. They alleged that the attackers threatened and abused them when they tried to stop the violence. The families then travelled about seven kilometres to the nearest police station to seek help. Police later reached the village, rescued the boys, and took them to a hospital, where they were treated for multiple injuries.
The families also alleged that police did not immediately register a case against the attackers. Instead, later that night, one of the main accused, Sachin Rautrao, filed a complaint accusing the boys of theft. Police recorded his complaint before registering the victims’ complaint more than 10 hours after the assault. During that time, two of the main accused, Sachin Rautrao and Nitin Shinde, were reportedly untraceable.
Police later arrested six other accused identified as Santosh Rautrao, Bably Kale, Datta Jadhav, Balu Suryavanshi, Ganesh Bhopi, and Dashrath Bhopi. They were granted bail two days later.
The victims’ families alleged that the attackers used communal and caste based slurs during the assault. They also claimed that police advised them not to emphasise the boys’ Muslim identity while reporting the incident.
Kharola village has more than 1,500 households, including over 300 Muslim families and around 500 Maratha families. Many Muslims in the village, most of whom belong to Other Backward Classes, work as landless labourers on farms owned by members of the Maratha community.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Syed Naseer Hussain criticised the BJP led Maharashtra government, accusing it of creating an atmosphere that encourages hatred and mob violence against Muslim children. Police, however, have stated that they do not believe the incident had a communal motive and said the investigation is continuing.