Language, Religion Trigger Brutal Attack On Kashmiri Teen In Uttarakhand

An 18-year-old Kashmiri boy was brutally assaulted in Uttarakhand’s Vikas Nagar on Wednesday evening after a shopkeeper allegedly objected to him speaking in Kashmiri and questioned him about his religion, leaving the teenager with a fractured arm and serious head injuries.

The Dehradun Police have arrested one accused and registered an FIR at Vikas Nagar police station under Sections 117(2) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, which deals with voluntarily causing grievous hurt, and Section 352, which pertains to intentional insult aimed at provoking a breach of public peace

The teenager, who sells shawls with his family during the winter months, was attacked while returning from work with his elder brother. The family, originally from Kashmir, currently runs a shop in Himachal Pradesh and travels to markets across the hill states.

Recounting the incident, the boy’s cousin told Outlook that the teenager and his elder brother had stopped at a shop in Vikas Nagar to buy food.

“They were trying to buy something to eat, but the shopkeeper was not responding to them,” he said. The elder brother then spoke to the teenager in Kashmiri, suggesting they move to another shop.

“That is when the shopkeeper came out and asked what language they were speaking,” the cousin said.

After they replied that they were speaking Kashmiri, the shopkeeper allegedly began questioning how they had come to Uttarakhand and whether they were Muslim or Hindu. “When we said we are Muslims, he started beating the elder brother first,” the cousin said.

According to him, the shopkeeper asked the younger sibling to step aside while he assaulted the elder brother. When the teenager protested, saying they had done nothing wrong, another man allegedly emerged from inside the shop and struck the boy on the head multiple times with a metal rod.

“He hit him two or three times on the head,” the cousin said. He raised an alarm and ran ahead, following which local residents gathered at the spot and rushed both brothers to the government hospital in Vikas Nagar.

The injured teenager was later referred to Doon Hospital in Dehradun, where doctors conducted a CT scan and an X-ray. Medical reports confirmed a fracture on the left side above his shoulder, while CT scan results were awaited at the time of reporting. His elder brother sustained minor injuries to his leg.

“In the aforementioned case, the police, acting swiftly, have registered a case under Sections 117(2)/352 of the BNS at Vikas Nagar Police Station (Case No. 26/2026). The accused, Sanjay Yadav, has been taken into custody, and necessary legal action is being taken,” Dehradun Police said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

However, this is not an isolated incident. In the past few months, Kashmiri shawl vendors have repeatedly faced harassment in Uttarakhand, particularly after the Pahalgam attack in April 2025.

“They ask why we come here from Kashmir, and they keep questioning our religion,” the cousin said, adding that similar incidents had occurred earlier in Dehradun and other areas.

The attack has triggered fear among Kashmiri traders in the region. “After this, no one feels like stepping out,” he said. Since yesterday, nearly 50 to 100 shawl sellers stayed indoors, abandoning work due to fear.The injured teenager’s condition is now stable, according to his family, though he remains under medical observation.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has urged Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to intervene immediately and ensure adequate protection for Kashmiri traders, labourers, and students in the state.

Condemning the attack, in a statement on social media, the association said that “violence, communal hatred, and vigilantism cannot be normalised,” and stressed that the state has a constitutional duty to protect all citizens, regardless of region, religion, or identity. It called for swift, time-bound action to restore confidence and prevent similar incidents.

JKSA also asked the Chief Minister to issue clear directions to district police and implement confidence-building measures to reassure vulnerable communities. “Decisive action will not only deliver justice to the victim but also send a clear message that Uttarakhand will not tolerate violence driven by hate or communal profiling,” the statement said.