In the video, the Sanatan Sanskriti leader is seen repeatedly slapping the youth, pulling his hair and using abusive language against him and the Muslim community in general
DEHRADUN — A Muslim youth was beaten black and blue over unsubstantiated allegations of peeping at a bathing woman from a rooftop and filming several girls in Dehradun in Uttarakhand.
A video of the assault, led by Radha Semwal Dhoni, leader of the Hindu right-wing group Sanatan Sanskriti, has gone viral on different social media platforms.
The assault reportedly took place on Monday (June 29) and its footage has sparked widespread criticism and debate.
In the video, Semwal is seen repeatedly slapping the Muslim youth, pulling his hair and using abusive language against him and the Muslim community in general.
The victim is heard denying the allegations as those around him question and confront him.
In one of the videos, the woman leader is heard making remarks directed at the Muslim community, referring to the man as “mullah” and saying, “Your daughters and daughters-in-law remain behind burqas, and you will stare at ours?” while repeatedly punching him with fists and slaps.
She is also heard warning locals against renting homes to Muslims, saying, “Whoever has rented their property to a mullah, I will file a complaint against them.”
The remarks have drawn criticism online, with many users describing them as discriminatory and an attempt to encourage the social exclusion of Muslims.
Social media posts further claim that instead of informing the police and allowing an investigation to take place, the man was publicly confronted and assaulted before being handed over to the authorities. These claims have not been independently verified.
The incident has reignited concerns over instances in which allegations of misconduct are followed by public assaults before any investigation is carried out.
One social media user wrote, “A Muslim youth was handed over to a mob based solely on an accusation. Will it now be considered ‘justice’ to simply beat anyone on the street the moment an accusation is made?”
Another user argued that if the allegations against the man were true, they should be investigated through due process rather than mob action. The post stated, “Watching a girl bathing from a rooftop is an extremely serious allegation. However, such matters must be handled strictly through legal process and proper investigation —not by mob violence or communal targeting. No one has the right to take the law into their own hands.”
The videos have prompted discussions online about vigilantism, communal rhetoric and the growing tendency of some groups to publicly punish individuals before the facts have been established.
As of now, Uttarakhand Police have not confirmed the sequence of events shown in the viral videos, the allegations made against the Muslim youth, or whether any case has been registered against those seen assaulting him. An official statement is awaited.
