An 18-year-old Kashmiri boy selling shawls with his family in the Vikas Nagar area of Uttarakhand was assaulted by a group of people on Tuesday evening, leaving him with a fractured arm and serious head injuries.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, the boy was first stopped and questioned about his identity. The situation escalated after the attackers came to know that the family belonged to the Muslim community and was from Kashmir.
“The boy was beaten mercilessly, struck with iron rods and punched repeatedly. Other family members were also dragged, slapped and attacked,” the association said in a statement.
The victim was initially taken to a local hospital but was later referred to Doon Hospital in Dehradun due to the severity of his injuries. His relatives said blood was oozing from his head after the assault and multiple bruises were visible on his body. His left arm has been fractured.
Family members said the teenager was helping his family earn a livelihood during the harsh winter months by selling shawls. They said the violence intensified once the attackers learnt about their religious identity and their origins in Kashmir.
The JKSA described the incident as a disturbing case of communal profiling and mob violence against a vulnerable family trying to survive through seasonal work. It warned that such attacks are creating fear among Kashmiri Muslims who travel to different states for employment.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.
