Uttarakhand Police have arrested a Bajrang Dal functionary and registered an FIR following an assault on a Kashmiri shawl vendor in Udham Singh Nagar, where the victim was allegedly threatened with death. The police action came after the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) took up the matter with authorities.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has reiterated its strict “zero tolerance” approach towards violence against Kashmiri traders after the incident, which involved physical assault and intimidation. The JKSA raised serious concern over the episode before senior officials of the Union government, the Uttarakhand administration, and authorities in Jammu and Kashmir.
JKSA National Convenor Nasir Khuehami confirmed that the principal accused, identified as Bajrang Dal leader Ankur Singh, has been taken into custody. He said other individuals connected to the incident have also been detained, and the association has appreciated the prompt response of the Uttarakhand Police.
Khuehami said the Uttarakhand Director General of Police informed him that a formal case has been registered, while Kumaon Range Inspector General Riddhim Agarwal conveyed that police have initiated action against those responsible for the assault and the accompanying threats.
Special police teams were constituted, searches conducted, and arrests effected under relevant legal provisions, he said, adding that all accused have now been booked.
The JKSA further stated that both the MHA and the Uttarakhand government have taken a firm position that any form of harassment or violence against Kashmiri traders will not be tolerated, underlining that Kashmiri citizens enjoy full constitutional rights to carry on their livelihood anywhere in the country.
Officials have assured that no external pressure or compromise attempts will interfere with the investigation, which will continue strictly on the basis of evidence to establish responsibility and identify any additional offenders.
According to the association, the victim was assaulted, issued death threats, and told to leave the state, triggering fear among Kashmiri traders who travel seasonally across Uttarakhand and other regions to sell shawls.
Quoting a senior MHA official, Khuehami said that the safety, dignity, and economic security of Kashmiri traders and students nationwide will be fully protected and that the rule of law will prevail.
The JKSA also thanked the Central and Uttarakhand governments and the Kumaon Range IGP for their timely intervention, noting that the swift police response has restored confidence among Kashmiri traders and reinforced the message that no individual is above the law.
