|| CN Desk: Three Muslim schoolboys were allegedly tied to a pole and brutally beaten by a mob in western India after being accused of stealing electrical wire, in an attack that has drawn criticism over both the violence and the police response. The assault took place on July 10 in Kharola village in Maharashtra state, according to The Wire. The victims, aged between 13 and 15, were allegedly beaten with belts, electrical cables and plastic pipes by a group of men after being accused of theft. A video reportedly recorded by one of the attackers later spread widely on social media. The boys’ families said they rushed to the scene after learning their children had been restrained and assaulted but were threatened when they tried to intervene. Unable to stop the attack, they traveled to a nearby police station to seek help, after which officers arrived and rescued the boys. The children were taken to a hospital, where their parents said they were treated for injuries sustained during the assault. One parent said the boys’ bodies were covered with bruises caused by repeated blows from belts, electrical wires and pipes.The case has raised questions about the conduct of police after authorities initially registered a criminal complaint accusing the three boys of theft before filing charges against the alleged attackers. According to officials, more than 10 hours passed between the assault and the registration of a police complaint against the suspects.During that period, two of the main accused were reportedly unaccounted for, while six others were later arrested, brought before a court and released on bail after two days. Police have said officers intervened to rescue the children from the mob but maintained that the attack was not motivated by religious hatred.The victims’ families dispute that account, alleging the attackers shouted anti-Muslim and caste-based slurs throughout the assault. One parent also alleged that police advised the family not to emphasize the boys’ Muslim identity in connection with the case. The incident has triggered political criticism, with opposition lawmaker Syed Naseer Hussain accusing the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party-led Maharashtra government of fostering an atmosphere in which anti-Muslim mob violence has become increasingly normalized.Kharola is a mixed-community village where many Muslim families work as landless agricultural laborers for members of the locally dominant Maratha community. Rights advocates have long warned that economic dependence and unequal social power can leave marginalized communities vulnerable to intimidation and violence while making it more difficult for victims to pursue justice.