Maharashtra: Three-year-old Muslim girl and mother killed in alleged hate-fueled road rage incident

In Latur, Maharashtra, a three-year-old girl and her mother lost their lives on September 29 when five men in a car allegedly chased and ran over their family on a motorcycle. The incident reportedly stemmed from a dispute over driving, with the family being pursued for approximately five kilometres.

The motorcycle rider, 35-year-old Sadique Shaikh, and his six-year-old son survived but sustained injuries. According to Shaikh, the men used religious slurs during the chase, stating that “Muslims need to be taught a lesson.” Following advocacy from activists and lawyers, the Latur Police have filed murder charges against the five accused: Digambhar Pandole, Krishna Wagh, Basvaraj Dhotre, Manoj Mane, and Manoj Mudame.

Latur Superintendent of Police Somay Mundhe confirmed the murder charges, stating, “At this time, it appears to be a case of road rage.” The incident occurred as Shaikh, along with his wife Iqra (24) and children Ahad and Nadia, were returning home after visiting Shaikh’s sister in Ausa, about 20 kilometres from Latur.

The first information report (FIR) indicates that around 8 p.m., a car swerved in front of their motorcycle. After Shaikh confronted the occupants, suspecting they were intoxicated, the vehicle followed them and struck them near Budhada village. While Shaikh and his son were injured, Iqra and Nadia tragically died in the crash.

Initially, the family believed it was an accident, but upon regaining consciousness, Shaikh alleged they had been targeted due to their religion. Their lawyer, Altaf Qazi, stated that the attackers had hurled slurs at them because Iqra was wearing a burqa. However, the FIR does not mention any of these slurs.

Local residents detained the accused shortly after the incident, and a video surfaced showing one of them admitting to intentionally running over the family. The family claims that police were initially reluctant to file serious charges and attempted to classify the incident as a typical accident. It took persistent advocacy from Qazi and community activists before the FIR was registered on October 1, two days after the incident.

“The police initially considered a charge of culpable homicide, despite video evidence indicating intent. After considerable persuasion, they agreed to charge the men with murder,” Qazi said.

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