Innocence denied, home shattered, a family’s nightmare in Sindhudurg District
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Until February 23, life was normal for 15-year-old Salman (name changed), his father, and his uncle Sanaullah. For 21 years, their family had lived peacefully in Malon in the Sindhudurg District of Maharashtra, running a small scrap shop to make ends meet. But one evening, their world was turned upside down by an accusation that Salman swears he never committed.
It was just another day for Salman. After prayers, he left the mosque, purchased a few items from a local shop, and headed home. Two strangers approached him on a motorbike, demanding to know his name. Frightened, Salman hesitated and gave a false name: ‘Ilyas.’
But the men weren’t convinced. They pressed on, questioning him about cricket. When Salman replied that he didn’t watch the game, one of them whispered to the other: “He is saying ‘Death to India.’”
What followed was sheer horror. The two men — drunk and aggressive — pounced on the young boy, beating him mercilessly. They dragged him home and continued the assault in front of his helpless father. Accusations flew: Salman had allegedly raised the slogan “Pakistan Zindabad.” A marauding crowd gathered. The father pleaded for his son’s innocence, but the mob was unrelenting. That night, their home was stormed by a group of nearly 50 men, who dragged Salman and his father to the police station.
Salman, bruised and terrified, insisted: “I did not raise any such slogan.” But no one listened.
The next day, before Salman’s case could even be investigated, the local administration bulldozed his family’s only source of income — a small scrap shop. Without trial, and without evidence, the family’s livelihood was wiped out in minutes. Soon after, Sanaullah’s shop was also demolished.
The family was left homeless, penniless, and without any hope for justice. Salman’s father and relatives fled, fearing for their lives. Salman himself has disappeared — hiding, fearing a society that turned against him overnight.
Sanaullah, the boy’s uncle, has returned to the village, but he is living under constant threat. “My daughter’s exams are going on. That’s the only reason I haven’t left. But after this? What kind of life is left for us here?”
What makes this tragedy even more heartbreaking is the deafening silence that followed. There are 25 Muslim households in the village, yet no one dares to stand by them. Those who initially showed support quickly withdrew, fearing consequences.
Even the mosque committee, led by its president Karim Khan, refused to fight back. “We didn’t want this to become a Hindu-Muslim issue, so we stayed quiet,” he admitted. Instead of standing with an innocent boy and his shattered family, they chose silence.
When questioned, Inspector Praveen Kolhe of Malon Police Station confirmed that one Sandeep Varadkar filed a complaint. But when asked for proof, he responded chillingly: “No, we only have eyewitnesses. We are proceeding accordingly.”
A 15-year-old boy, with no evidence against him, lost everything overnight. His family is in hiding. Their home and business are gone and their dignity is trampled upon.
And yet, those responsible walk free. Is this justice?
