Tensions escalated in Kirti Nagar, Pauri Garhwal district, on October 29, as Hindu right-wing members reportedly vandalized shops owned by Muslims. This unrest followed the reported disappearance of a 16-year-old girl, whose family alleged that a local Muslim barber had molested her and attempted to pressure her into converting to Islam.
According to Tehri Garhwal Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ayush Agarwal, the girl’s family filed a police complaint on October 28, alleging molestation by a barber named Salman, 23, from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh. An FIR was registered based on their statement. However, later that evening, the girl went missing from her home, prompting an additional FIR concerning her disappearance.
“We are checking CCTV footage as well,” SSP Agarwal stated. Meanwhile, the barber is also reported missing, with police actively searching for him.
Following the news of the girl’s disappearance, several Hindu activists gathered for a protest, which led to the ransacking of two Muslim-owned shops, heightening communal tensions in the area. Kirti Nagar Police Station House Officer (SHO) Devraj Sharma confirmed that authorities are reviewing CCTV footage and are prepared to take appropriate action based on their findings.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Pauri-Garhwal district vice-president Lakhpat Singh Bhandari criticized the police for their handling of the case, claiming they allowed the barber to leave town, which he argued indirectly contributed to the girl’s disappearance. He issued an ultimatum to the police, demanding the search for the girl be completed by the evening, or else protests would ensue.
This incident comes amid growing communal tensions in Uttarakhand. On October 24, protests in Uttarkashi district turned violent when Hindu right-wing members clashed with police, demanding the demolition of a decades-old mosque they allege is illegal.
Earlier, on October 10, protests in Chamoli’s Tharali followed the arrest of a Muslim man accused of raping a young girl, further reflecting a series of anti-minority incidents in the state.
