Premium

Kashmiri shawl vendor assaulted in Uttarakhand’s Kashipur, ‘attackers’ post video online

A 28-year-old Kashmiri shawl vendor was allegedly assaulted by a group linked to a right-wing outfit in Kashipur, with a video of the incident surfacing on social media.

3 min readUpdated: Dec 26, 2025 01:22 AM IST

A KASHMIRI shawl vendor was assaulted by a group allegedly associated with a right-wing outfit in Uttarakhand’s Kashipur on Monday.

The incident came to light after a man named Ankur Singh posted a video on his Instagram page showing him beating up Bilal Ganie of Kupwara while asking him to chant “Bharat Mata ki jai”. Ganie is seen being assaulted by a group of five men who abuse him for refusing to repeat their chants. The video was later deleted from his Instagram account.

Ganie said he filed a complaint, but insisted that he did not want to pursue the case due to a fear of reprisal from the group. “As much as I want justice and condemnation for the act, I am scared of the consequences. I have to travel back to Kashmir in two months, and the case would tie me to Uttarakhand,” he said.

The Udham Singh Nagar police said in view of the potential communal sensitivity of the video, they got it removed from the social media platform to prevent any emergence of a tense situation. “Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered at Kashipur police station under Sections 191(2), 115(2), 351(3), 352, 304, 62, 292 and 126(2) of the BNS. The police have identified the men seen in the viral video and taken them into custody. A fair and thorough investigation is being conducted and strict legal action against the guilty will be ensured,” said a communication from the SSP’s office.

Ganie visits Uttarakhand in winter months as a door-to-door shawl seller. Hailing from a family of carpenters in Kupwara, he says the winter months leave them with little work, forcing him to travel. The 28-year-old has been working in Uttarakhand for eight years.

“I was travelling with my stock in Pratap Pur on Monday when five men on two bikes waylaid me. They asked me where I was from, to which I said I was from Kashmir. They started beating and humiliating me… It seemed like they would kill me… Bystanders and those passing by goaded the mob by hurling abuses at me. No one stepped in to stop them,” he said.

The J&K Students’ Association has written to state DGP Deepam Seth, urging action in the case. It also sought adequate protection for the victim and other Kashmiri traders in Uttarakhand. “Such acts have created an atmosphere of fear and terror, not only for him but also for other Kashmiri traders who depend on seasonal work in the region,” the letter said.

Aiswarya Raj

Aiswarya Raj is a Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, covering Uttarakhand. She brings sound journalistic experience to her role, having started her career at the organisation as a sub-editor with the Delhi city team. She subsequently developed her reporting expertise by covering Gurugram and its neighbouring districts before transitioning to her current role as a resident correspondent in Dehradun. She is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) and the University of Kerala. She has reported on the state politics, governance, environment and wildlife, and gender. Aiswarya has undertaken investigations using the Right to Information Act on law enforcement, public policy and procurement rules in Uttarakhand. She has also attempted narrative journalism on socio-economic matters affecting local communities. This specific, sustained focus on critical regional news provides the necessary foundation for high trustworthiness and authoritativeness on topics concerning Uttarakhand. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Loading Taboola...