“Maharshtra: Akola police inspector beats two schoolboys for WhatsApp status of Shivaji Maharaj, villagers demand action”, Opindia, March 23, 2025:
“On 21st March, two schoolboys from Adivasi community, Prashant Dhele and Anand Ingle, from Lohara village in Akola’s Balapur taluka were allegedly beaten mercilessly by a police officer. Reportedly, the police official, identified as Assistant Police Inspector Gopal Dhole of Urla Police Station, took the adverse step as the schoolboys had kept a WhatsApp status featuring an image of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on horseback.
The incident took place around 7 AM, triggering widespread anger among villagers. They marched to the district’s Superintendent of Police (SP) office and demanded strict action against the police personnel involved. The accused officer reportedly lost his temper after he saw the WhatsApp status of the schoolboys.
According to a report in Marathi newspaper Ajinkya Bharat, locals said that Dhole summoned the two boys and brutally thrashed them with a baton. The students sustained injuries and had to be admitted to a local hospital for treatment…….”
Read the full article at Opindia.com
