A pharmacy student from Jammu and Kashmir was allegedly assaulted by local residents in Nagpur’s Kamptee area on Sunday, April 27, sparking concern among Kashmiri students in the city and prompting appeals for official intervention.
The student, hailing from the Doda district, was reportedly waiting for his friend—also a first-year pharmacy student from Jammu—when a group of local residents approached him, questioned his presence in the area, and began to thrash him after he hesitated to respond. His friend, upon returning, clarified that they were students, after which the attackers let them go.
Though the Nagpur Police said no formal complaint had been filed by the victim, they acknowledged the incident and claimed the motive behind the assault remains unclear. A senior official confirmed they are looking into the matter.
Nasir Khuehami, National Convenor of the J&K Students Association, brought the incident to public attention via social media platform ‘X’, urging Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis—who also holds the Home Ministry portfolio—to ensure action is taken.
In a detailed post, Khuehami described the assault as brutal. “The student from Doda area of J&K was brutally thrashed without any rhyme or reason by fringe elements,” he wrote. He added that the victim was knocked to the ground, repeatedly punched and slapped on the face, back, neck, and arms.
Khuehami later confirmed that after his outreach, he received a call from IGP (Law & Order) Manoj Kumar Sharma, who took details of the incident and assured him of strict legal action against the perpetrators.
While the victim later told reporters that he did not believe the assault was motivated by hate, the backdrop of the recent Pahalgam terror attack has raised concerns among Kashmiri students across India. Families of students studying outside the region are expressing growing fears about their safety amid rising hostility and communal tensions.
This incident comes as several Kashmiris in various parts of India report backlash following the Pahalgam attack.
