Sajid Raina
Srinagar, Jan 29: An 18-year-old Kashmiri shawl seller was assaulted by goons in the Vikas Nagar area of Dehradun, prompting swift police action and widespread condemnation from Jammu and Kashmir leaders.
Representatives of Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) said that the teenager was “beaten mercilessly” and sustained “multiple injuries,” including a “fractured left arm and serious head trauma, after being struck with iron rods.”
He was first admitted to a local hospital and later shifted to Doon Hospital for further treatment.
“Attackers initially questioned the family about their identity. When they learnt the victims were Muslims from Kashmir, the violence escalated. Other family members were reportedly dragged, slapped, and struck with rods,” the JKSA representatives quoted relatives as having told them.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the incident, calling attacks on Kashmiris outside the Union Territory “unacceptable.”
Posting on social media, he said the J&K government would take necessary steps to ensure the safety of Kashmiris living or traveling elsewhere.
He also urged the Union Home Ministry to sensitise other states to prevent targeted attacks.
Following the JKSA’s complaint, Uttarakhand Police registered a First Information Report (FIR No. 26/2026) at Vikas Nagar Police Station under Sections 117(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Sanjay Yadav, the primary accused, has been arrested and taken into custody, while legal proceedings are underway, Uttarakhand DGP Deepam Seth informed the JKSA.
The DGP assured that the strongest possible action would be taken to prevent any form of communal intimidation and to protect the constitutional rights of J&K citizens in the state.
He said the investigation would proceed strictly on merit, with zero tolerance for attacks targeting traders from Kashmir.
Welcoming the police action as an “important first step,” the JKSA called for accountability that is time-bound, transparent, and exemplary.
The association said acts of “communal profiling and mob violence” must not be normalised.
In a statement, Congress described the attack as part of a disturbing trend of increasing incidents against Kashmiris in recent years, particularly in BJP-ruled states. The party demanded strict action against the perpetrators and urged the government to ensure justice for the victim and his family.
