Mangaluru: A few days ago, a video of three boys – all between 13 and 15 – tied to a pole and brutally beaten by a group of men went viral on social media. This video was shot on July 10 in Kharola village, Renapur Taluka in Maharashtra’s Latur district, on the phone of one of the attackers. The attackers were all Maratha men from the same village and the victims were school- going Muslim boys.
Despite how clear cut the case appeared in the video and despite police having to intervene before the attackers finally released the boys, the officials filed a case against the victims instead. Only after public pressure mounted was an FIR registered against the Maratha men, hours later.
The father of one of the boys, who is also a witness in the case, told The Wire that he rushed to the scene along with the parents of the other two children as soon as he learned his son and his friends were tied up and being beaten.
“We tried hard to stop the men, but they turned on us and started abusing us. We were so scared they would kill our children, and we couldn’t do anything. After pleading with them, we rushed to the police station, seven kilometres away. The police arrived at the spot immediately,” he said.
The father’s name has been withheld, as the children are all minors.
The attackers alleged that the boys stole electric wires from their farms.
Police confirmed to The Wire that they were informed of the ongoing violence and had to rush to the scene, where officers physically pulled the boys out of the mob. But despite arriving at the scene and witnessing the crime firsthand, police failed to file an FIR against the men immediately.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rajendra Mayane said the delay occurred because officers were “trying to verify facts”. This, even when the police had witnessed the violence unleashed on the young boys.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.