The family of a Muslim woman and her three-year-old daughter, who were killed in Maharashtra’s Latur on September 29, has alleged that the incident was a hate crime. Five men in a car allegedly ran over the family as they traveled on a motorcycle. The family claims that the police initially tried to classify the case as a regular traffic incident.
The men reportedly chased the family for five kilometers following an argument over driving.
Sadique Shaikh, who was riding the motorcycle, and his six-year-old son survived with injuries. Shaikh’s wife, Iqra, and daughter, Nadia, tragically died, according to the Indian Express.
Shaikh has alleged that the men chasing him hurled anti-Muslim slurs, including saying that “Muslims need to be taught a lesson,” the newspaper reported.
Shaikh recounted confronting the men in the car, who were allegedly intoxicated. Despite continuing his journey after the argument, the men pursued him and his family, eventually crashing into them near Budhada village.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.