Viral Video Sparks Outrage: Muslim Children Allegedly Beaten, Forced to Chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in Madhya Pradesh

In the Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh, a shocking incident has come to the fore where three young Muslim boys were allegedly beaten up and were even made to chant "Jai Shri Ram." A video that surfaced on social media is purportedly the assault, sparking public ire and precipitating protests outside the local police station. Demonstrators demanded immediate action against those responsible. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rakesh Khakha and other senior officers were deployed to the area to maintain order. Authorities assured swift action and managed to calm the crowd. According to an Indian Express report, ASP Khakha noted that the video appears to be about a month and a half old.

Police officials said a case has been registered. According to an NDTV report, besides a minor suspect, a 14-year-old who recorded the video too has been taken into custody. Ratlam SP Amit Kumar said the police immediately took cognisance of the footage. On the basis of the video, the two minors have been charged with assault, abuse, issuing death threats and hurting religious sentiments.

What's in the Viral Video?

The video, as alleged, depicts a teenage boy mercilessly banging three young boys with a slipper and taunting them verbally, compelling them to chant the phrase "Jai Shri Ram." He accuses the kids of wanting to learn how to smoke cigarettes and demands phone numbers of their close relatives. According to reports, the assailant is about 16 years old and wears a black shirt, while his victims are six, nine, and eleven years old. One of the young victims reportedly screamed "Allah" in agony during the assault. The attacker was quick enough to reply: "Allah, what did you say?

The report claims the children were subjected to beating until they were forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram." Though the police haven't confirmed these details yet, they say the IT cell is investigating the case. The victims are Muslims. However, the accused deny forcing the children to chant religious slogans.

Quoting the Hindustan Times, an anonymous official said the kids had asked them for a cigarette lighter to smoke a cigarette, hence the slaps as a lesson for them. The accused claimed that they never forced the children to say "Jai Shri Ram" and one of the boys began chanting it on his own. According to one of the relatives of the victim, the kids have been in pain since the incident and do not want to talk much. The family only found out about the occurrence from the video.