DEHRADUN — A group of three men attacked a Muslim man, Rizwan, a railway employee and forced him to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram‘ in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal region on August 15. They also threatened him to cut off his beard.
The assault occurred in the Srinagar Kotwali area when Rizwan, a resident of Chhutmalpur, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, had visited the shop to have tea. Eyewitnesses and a viral video reveal the extent of the violence and abuse inflicted upon him.
Much older than his attackers, he was repeatedly slapped and abused by the trio, forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram‘ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai,‘ Siasat Daily reported.
One of the attackers can be heard saying, “It’s the rule of Hindus here, say Jai Shri Ram.“
Another threatens him with beheading, saying, “Tum halal karke kaat te ho, hum tumhe jhatka karke kaatenge” (You slaughter animals with halal, we will cut you with jhatka).”
At one point, one of the attackers asks for a blade to cut off Rizwan’s beard. The elderly Muslim man, visibly scared, obeys their demands.
Senior superintendent of police Lokeshwar Singh confirmed the incident to Siasat Daily and said that it occurred on Independence Day. “The victim and his attackers are locals employed as contract workers for the Indian Railways. We have arrested Mukesh Bhatt, Manish Bisht and Naveen Bhandari. A case under criminal intimidation has been registered.
The incident has raised serious questions about communal harmony and minority safety in the state. A member of the Muslim community in Pauri Garhwal said, “Every Independence Day we hope to celebrate freedom, but today, our own safety feels threatened. We need protection, not threats and abuse.”
Human rights groups have strongly condemned the attack. Abdul Rahman, a local activist, told this reporter, “This is not just an attack on one individual; it is an attempt to intimidate the entire Muslim community. We demand strict action against the perpetrators.”
n response, Pauri Garhwal police acted swiftly after the video went viral. Srinagar’s Area Officer Anuj Kumar confirmed, “A case has been registered in response to the viral video, and the three accused have been arrested and presented before the court.”
Uttarakhand Police, through their official social media channels, identified the accused as Kesh Bhatt (Shyampur, Rishikesh), Manish Bisht (Farsoo Dungripanth, Srinagar), and Naveen Bhandari (Kotdhar, Chinyalisaur, Uttarkashi). Authorities stated that further investigation is ongoing to ensure justice for Rizwan.
