Kashmiri shawl seller attacked: J-K govt says CM's intervention led to arrest of main accused

After the arrest of the prime accused in the attack on an 18-year-old Kashmiri youth in Uttarakhand, an official statement issued by the JK government claimed that Omar Abdullahs intervention in the matter led to the apprehension of the alleged attacker.

After the arrest of the prime accused in the attack on an 18-year-old Kashmiri youth in Uttarakhand, an official statement issued by the J&K government claimed that Omar Abdullah's intervention in the matter led to the apprehension of the alleged attacker. Abdullah's intervention led to the registration of an FIR and arrest of the prime accused, the statement said on Thursday. An 18-year-old Kashmiri youth suffered serious injuries after he was allegedly assaulted by a group of people while he was selling shawls in Uttarakhand's Dehradun district on Wednesday. ''Chief Minister spoke with the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, regarding the assault on a young Kashmiri shawl seller in Uttarakhand and urged him to take strict action against the perpetrators. ''Dhami assured that strict action, including registration of an FIR, would be taken in the matter and safety of J&K residents will be ensured,'' the Office of Chief Minister, J&K, said in a post on X. Quote-tweeting the post, Abdullah wrote, ''This recent series of attacks including in Himachal Pradesh and now this one are unacceptable and must stop. It can't be claimed that J&K is an inalienable part of India while people from Kashmir, in other parts of the country, live in fear for their lives. ''My Government will step in where ever necessary & will do whatever is needed to ensure these incidents are not repeated. I hope Home Ministry, Govt of India will also sensitise other states on the same lines,'' Abdullah added. The statement said subsequently, Uttarakhand Police took prompt action in the matter. ''The police informed that (an) FIR has been registered at Police Station Vikasnagar against the accused Sanjay Yadav and one other person under Sections 117(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). ''The accused Sanjay Yadav has been taken into custody and necessary legal action is being initiated, and he will be sent to jail,'' said the statement quoting an official update from Uttrakhand. Earlier, CPI(M) MLA M Y Tarigami and J&K Students Association (JKSA) also expressed anguish over the assault on the Kashmiri youth. ''Another young Kashmiri shawl seller has been brutally attacked in Uttarakhand. These traders travel across India to earn an honest livelihood, yet repeated assaults reveal a disturbing pattern that demands urgent action and accountability,'' Tarigami said in a post on X. National Convenor of J&K Student Association Nasir Khuehami claimed that the victim was first questioned about his identity and ''after learning that the family belonged to the Muslim community and hailed from Kashmir, the attackers turned violent.'' ''Other family members were allegedly dragged, slapped and assaulted during the incident,'' Khuehami alleged. Terming the incident as deeply disturbing, the association called for a strict FIR against all those involved and demanded adequate protection and security for Kashmiri traders, labourers and students in the state. The association urged Dhami to issue directions to the district police and ensure confidence-building measures to reassure vulnerable communities that the rule of law will prevail over mob prejudice.

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