MP: Muslim minors allegedly beaten, forced to read Gita by cops

Khargone: Two Muslim minors claim that they were subjected to custodial violence while they were held at a juvenile correctional home in the aftermath of Khargone violence in Madhya Pradesh (MP).

A total of 12 minor boys were named in a First Information Report (FIR) in connection to the riots. They were first remanded to Khandwa police station, and later shifted to a juvenile correctional home in Khandwa where they were subjected to differential treatment, and beaten up.

Following the violence, the police had registered 72 cases, and arrested over 200 people, including several minors. They have been charged with Sections 147,149, 436, 435, 427 and 336, among others. These amount to charges of rioting, arson, and mischief with an intent to cause harm.

Of the 12 minors, two Muslim boys aged 15 and 17 claimed that they were forced to listen to Hindu devotional songs, made to chant the Bhagavad gita, inadequately fed, and thrashed.

“Bhajans were played on a mobile phone and we were made to sing those songs. We were given the Gita Gyan and were made to read it,” said the 17 year old boy while speaking to The Wire

“There were 12 of us there and more boys in general, we had to make do by drinking water as we were not fed adequately. They made us do chores, asked us to sit like chicken and then beat us up too.” he added.

Both the boys said that they suffered serious injuries while at the correctional home.

The boys’ advocate pointed out that there were multiple loopholes in the investigation by the police. For instance, they accused a handicapped man with no limbs of stone pelting, named a dead man on the FIR, among others.

Communal-riots broke out in Khargone during the Ram Navami rally on April 10. The police also undertook many property demolition drives claiming illegal occupation. Multiple instances of communal flare-ups and tensions have been reported across the country ever since.