3-held-after-kashmiri-shawl-sellers-assaulted-in-mussoorie

A disturbing video of two Kashmiri shawl sellers being physically assaulted and harassed by three local men in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, has triggered widespread outrage on social media. The incident, which surfaced online on Tuesday, shows the vendors being repeatedly slapped and abused as they tried to run their roadside stall.

 

In the viral footage, a group of men—led by a bearded individual—can be seen attacking the sellers while yelling at them to shut down their stall and leave the area. One of the vendors even showed his Aadhaar card to verify his identity as a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, but the assault still continued.

 

Following public outrage over the viral video, the Uttarakhand Police arrested all three accused. They have been identified as Suraj Singh from Tehri Garhwal, Pradeep Singh from Hathipaon, and Abhishek Uniyal from the Company Garden area in Mussoorie. Legal proceedings are now underway against them.

 

Condemning the assault, Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) national convenor Nasir Khuehami claimed that the attackers were “members of the Bajrang Dal”.

 

“We received deeply disturbing and chilling reports from Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, where two Kashmiri shawl sellers were brutally assaulted by members of the Bajrang Dal," Khuehami wrote in his post, sharing the video of the alleged assault.

Khuehami further alleged that about 16 other Kashmiri traders, most of whom are from Kupwara district, were also “threatened, harassed, and forced to vacate their rented accommodations” in Mussoorie.

 

“These are not newcomers, many of them have been doing business and selling shawls in Mussoorie for years, contributing to the local economy and living peacefully within the community," he added.

In a follow-up post, Khuehami said that Uttarakhand DGP Deepam Seth had informed him that police had taken immediate action. “All three accused have been arrested, and legal proceedings have been initiated against them," he wrote.

“The culprits apologised for their actions and assured that they would not repeat such behavior in the future. Legal proceedings are being initiated against them under the Police Act," Khuehami added.