18-Year-Old Kashmiri Shawl Seller Assaulted in Uttarakhand’s Vikas Nagar, Suffers Fractures and Head Injuries

Uttarakhand, Jan 29: An 18-year-old Kashmiri youth selling shawls along with his family in Uttarakhand’s Vikas Nagar area was brutally assaulted by a group of people on Tuesday evening, leaving him with a fractured arm and serious head injuries.

According to the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), the youth was allegedly stopped and questioned about his identity. The situation reportedly turned violent after the attackers came to know that the family belonged to the Muslim community and hailed from Kashmir.

In a statement, the association said the boy was beaten severely, attacked with iron rods and punched repeatedly. Other members of his family were also allegedly dragged, slapped and assaulted during the incident.

The injured youth was first taken to a nearby hospital but was later shifted to Doon Hospital in Dehradun due to the seriousness of his condition. Reports said he sustained head injuries with bleeding and multiple bruises on different parts of his body.

The JKSA described the incident as a case of communal profiling and mob violence against a vulnerable family earning its livelihood during the winter season.

The association appealed to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to intervene in the matter, ensure the registration of a strict FIR and take action against all those involved under relevant legal provisions. It stressed that the case should be dealt with firmly to deter such acts of violence in the future.