A video showing three Muslim schoolboys tied to a pole and brutally beaten in Maharashtra’s Latur district has triggered outrage, with questions being raised over the police’s handling of the case.
The incident took place on July 10 in Kharola village of Renapur taluka. According to reports, the three boys, aged between 13 and 15 years, were allegedly assaulted by men belonging to the Maratha community. The attack was reportedly recorded by one of the accused on a mobile phone, and the video later went viral on social media.
Parents Say They Rushed to Save Their Children
One of the victims’ fathers, who is also a witness in the case, said he and the parents of the other two boys rushed to the spot after learning about the assault.
“We tried very hard to stop them, but they turned on us and abused us. We were terrified that they would kill our children and we could do nothing. After pleading with them, we went to the police station, which is about seven kilometres away. The police immediately reached the spot,” he said.
The identities of the boys have not been disclosed as they are minors.
The accused allegedly claimed that the boys had stolen electric wires from their fields.
Police Rescued Boys but FIR Against Accused Came Later
Police confirmed that officers reached the scene after receiving information about the assault and rescued the boys from the crowd.
However, despite witnessing the assault, the police initially registered a case against the three boys based on a complaint alleging theft. An FIR against the accused was reportedly filed only several hours later after public pressure mounted.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajendra Mayane said the delay occurred because officers were “trying to verify the facts.”
The incident occurred in the afternoon. According to the boys’ parents, they immediately took the injured children to hospital.
“They were beaten with belts, electric wires and pipes. Their bodies were covered with injury marks,” one parent said.
Main Accused Allegedly Filed Complaint First
While the boys were undergoing treatment, one of the accused allegedly shared the assault video with friends, after which it spread widely on social media.
Around 10 pm, the main accused, Sachin Rautrao, lodged an FIR against the three boys, accusing them of theft. Police confirmed that Rautrao came to the station to file the complaint.
Only after his complaint was registered did police record the complaint filed by one of the victims’ fathers.
The FIR lodged by Rautrao reportedly did not mention that he and others had tied the boys to a pole and assaulted them.
Two Accused Absconding, Six Get Bail
Police later registered an FIR against Sachin Rautrao and Nitin Shinde. However, both allegedly absconded before they could be arrested.
Six other accused—Santosh Rautrao, Babli Kale, Datta Jadhav, Balu Suryavanshi, Ganesh Bhopi and Dashrath Bhopi—were arrested, produced before a magistrate and granted bail two days later.
Communal Angle Disputed
Kharola village has over 1,500 families, including more than 300 Muslim families and over 500 Maratha families. Many Muslims in the village are reportedly landless agricultural labourers who work on farms owned by members of the Maratha community.
While DSP Rajendra Mayane maintained that the incident had “no communal angle,” the victims’ parents alleged that the attackers made communal and caste-based remarks during the assault.
One parent also claimed that police advised them not to mention their Muslim identity while pursuing the case.
Activist Junaid Attar, convenor of the Maharashtra Activist Forum, questioned the police’s assessment.
“If these boys had belonged to the same community as the accused, would they have dared to touch them?” he asked.
Attar, along with other local activists, is assisting the victims’ families in pursuing legal action.
