SRINAGAR, DEC 26 : Uttarakhand Police have arrested Bajrang Dal leader Ankur Singh and other associates for allegedly assaulting and issuing death threats to a Kashmiri shawl seller in Kashipur, Udham Singh Nagar district, after registering an FIR under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association said on Thursday.
As per media reports, Inspector General of Police, Kumaon Range, Riddhim Agarwal informed that the accused involved in the incident had been arrested.
Police have invoked Sections 191(2), 115(2), 351(3), 352, 304, 62, 292 and 126(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant provisions of the Police Act. Khuehami said police teams conducted raids, identified the accused and initiated legal proceedings without delay. Senior Superintendent of Police, Udham Singh Nagar, Manikant Mishra confirmed that Ankur Singh was the main accused in the case.The incident had triggered widespread outrage after reports emerged that the trader was assaulted for refusing to chant a slogan on religious grounds.
The Office of Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi termed the incident a violation of constitutional freedoms, stating that coercing citizens to prove patriotism through compelled speech undermines human dignity and the rule of law. The office urged strict legal action and protection for Kashmiri traders working outside Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, Baramulla Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid, currently lodged in jail, wrote letters to the Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, demanding immediate and exemplary action against those attacking Kashmiri shawl sellers.
His party said the letters were sent through his legal counsel and were also marked to the Union Home Secretary, seeking intervention to ensure the safety and dignity of Kashmiris across the country. Expressing concern, MLA Lolab Qaiser Jamshed Lone said reports of Kashmiri shawl sellers being harassed in different parts of India were deeply disturbing. He said the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to move, work and trade freely, and targeting people because of their identity was unjust and unconstitutional. He urged state governments and law enforcement agencies to act decisively to prevent such incidents.
