15-Yr-Old Boy, Parents Held; Their Shop Razed In Maharashtra Over ‘Anti-National’ Slogans During India-Pak Match

Mumbai: A 15-year-old boy and his parents were held by the police at Malvan in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district following a complaint alleging that they raised ‘anti-national’ slogans during the India-Pakistan cricket match last Sunday.

The Malvan municipal authorities also demolished the man’s scrap shop following a complaint by Shiv Sena leader Nilesh Rane, Indian Express reported.

Nilesh Rane, MLA of the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and son of former Union Minister Narayan Rane, in a post on X, alleged that the “scrap dealer made anti-India comments”.

“A Muslim migrant scrap metal trader in Malvan raised anti-India slogans after the India-Pakistan match yesterday. As a measure, we will expel this immigrant scoundrel from the district, but before that, we will immediately destroy his scrap metal business. Thank you to the Malvan Municipal Council administration and the police administration for taking immediate action,” Rane further wrote on X.

Sindhudurg Superintendent of Police Saurabh Agrawal stated that around 9:30 pm, while the match was still underway, a passerby claimed to have heard the boy shouting “anti-national” slogans, of “Afghanistan Zindabad”, “India gaya bhad mein”, and “Hindustan Murdabad,” The Hindu reported.

According to the SP, the passerby and some locals confronted the family, leading to a dispute. “This led to a fight between the two sides, following which police were informed. Based on the complaint by a local resident, an FIR was registered. Since the boy is a minor, we sent him to an observation home,” Agrawal added.

After being arrested, the accused were sent in judicial custody. They have been identified as Katabulla Khan (38), Ayesha Khan (35) and their minor son. They have been charged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 196 (promoting enmity between religious groups), 197 (statements harmful to national unity), and 3(5) (acts committed with shared intent).

On Monday, local residents held a motorcycle rally against the family, demanding further action, as reported by The Indian Express.

“The family, said they are from Uttar Pradesh, but the father is not giving any address and they have been living in Malvan for the past 15 years. The police are investigating why and how they came to Malvan. This is nexus, where they have set up their small business and mixed with locals. The vehicles are not registered, including a bike and truck. The Aadhaar card is also fake and some people are helping to make fake Aadhar IDs The police are investigating,” Rane said in the video posted on social media platform X.

Rane further claimed, “There is no clear information about where they came from, why they came, or whether they arrived two and a half or four years ago. Even the father has not been able to explain how he came here. Till today, no concrete answers have been found, but something will surely come to light during the investigation.”