Muslim hate leads Hindu men to run car over bike, kills mother, 3-year-old daughter in Latur

So much should be the hate in them, which was reflected in the running of a car over a Muslim family riding on a bike, killing the three-year-old daughter and the wife of 35-year-old Sadique Shaikh, whose questioning of the reckless driving of the car claimed their lives in Maharashtra’s Latur on September 29.

The incident, which took place near the village of Budhada, involved the family of Sadique Shaikh on a motorcycle being pursued for five kilometres after a confrontation over driving. The family alleges that the attack was motivated by religious hatred, as the accused reportedly used slurs during the altercation, The Indian Express reported.

The victims were identified as Iqra Shaikh, 24, and her daughter Nadia. Sadique Shaikh, 35, the husband and father, along with their six-year-old son, Ahad, survived the crash but sustained injuries. The family was returning from a visit to Sadique’s sister in Ausa, a town located 20 kilometres from Latur.

As per the TIE report, the accident took place around 8 pm on the outskirts of Ausa, where a car abruptly swerved in front of their motorcycle, prompting an initial confrontation between Sadique and the car’s occupants. The situation escalated when the car followed the family and eventually ran them over.

The case initially appeared to be a straightforward road accident, but after Sadique regained consciousness the following day, he recounted that the family had been targeted due to their religion. According to the family’s lawyer, the car’s occupants had hurled religious slurs, singling out the family for their faith. This account suggests the attack was deliberate, with the car pursuing them for several kilometres before striking the motorcycle.

The Latur Police initially treated the incident as an accident and were reluctant to file charges of a serious nature. The family and their legal team claimed that the police attempted to classify the incident as an ordinary road accident, despite clear indications that it was premeditated.

Video footage surfaced showing one of the accused admitting that the family had been deliberately run over following the confrontation. Despite this evidence, the family faced resistance from the police, who were hesitant to register the case as murder.

The family’s lawyer, along with activists, pressed for the case to be investigated as a deliberate attack motivated by religious hatred. It was only after persistent advocacy that the Latur Police registered an FIR on October 1, two days after the incident. The five accused—Digambhar Pandole, Krishna Wagh, Basvaraj Dhotre, Manoj Mane, and Mudame—were charged with murder following intervention from the community and legal representatives.

Although the case now includes charges of murder, there is still debate about the nature of the crime. While the family and their lawyer allege that religious hatred played a role in the incident, police have so far treated it as a case of road rage. The accused have been remanded in police custody for three days, and the investigation is ongoing.