Latur road rage: Woman and her 3-year-old killed after 5 men in car chase bike for 5 km, run over family

Speaking to The Indian Express, Latur SP Somay Mundhe said, “We have charged the five men with murder. At this time, it appears to be a case of road rage.”

The incident occurred on September 29 evening, when Shaikh, along with his wife Iqra (24), their six-year-old son Ahad, and three-year-old daughter Nadia, were returning after visiting his sister in Ausa, 20 kilometers from Latur.

According to the FIR filed with the Latur Police, around 8 pm, a car abruptly swerved in front of their motorcycle on the outskirts of Ausa. Shaikh confronted the car’s occupants, whom he believed were intoxicated. Following a brief argument, he continued riding. However, the car pursued them and knocked them down near Budhada village, he said.

The accident resulted in the death of Iqra and Nadia, while Shaikh and Ahad were shifted to a hospital in Latur. Initially, the family thought it was just an accident. However, upon regaining consciousness the next day, Shaikh told his elder brother that they had been targeted for their religion, according to the case.

“He recounted the argument with the car’s occupants. He said that because his wife was wearing a burqa, they hurled religious slurs and insisted that Muslims needed to be taught a lesson. While he said that he moved from the place on the insistence of his wife, the men followed them for around five kilometres and hit the bike hard,” said Altaf Qazi, the family’s lawyer.

The FIR, however, does not have any mention of alleged religious slurs. The five accused — Digambhar Pandole, Krishna Wagh, Basvaraj Dhotre, Manoj Mane and Mudame — were apprehended by local residents shortly after the incident. A video of one of the accused at the hospital shows him admitting that they deliberately ran over the family.

“We had a tiff with the man, and after he left, our driver, Digambar Pandole, followed and ran him over intentionally,” he can be seen stating in the video.

The family and their lawyers alleged that initially the police were reluctant to file serious charges and were attempting to classify the incident as an ordinary accident. “The police hesitated to file a case, especially since there was a senior minister’s meeting in Udgir that day. Despite the family asserting that they were targeted because of their faith, the police attempted to downplay it,” Kazi noted.

It was only after persistent advocacy from Kazi and community activists that an FIR was finally registered on October 1, two days after the incident. “The police initially considered a charge of culpable homicide, despite video evidence indicating their intent. After considerable persuasion, they agreed to charge the men with murder,” Kazi added.

The five accused have been remanded to three days of police custody. When questioned about whether they were investigating the incident as a hate crime, Latur SP Somay Mundhe stated that the current investigation suggests it was a case of road rage. “We have charged the five men with murder. At this time, it appears to be a case of road rage,” he said.

The Shaikh family remains in shock over the tragic turn of events following a family outing. “Both Sadique and Ahad are in immense pain and we can’t fathom that this tragedy struck us simply because our bhabhi was wearing a burqa,” said Ali Shaikh, Sadique’s brother.