At least half a dozen shops run by Muslims in Chamoli’s Nandanagar in Uttarakhand were vandalised on Sunday by a Hindu mob over allegations that a 25-year-old Muslim man made an obscene gesture towards a minor girl in the area.
On Sunday, a Hindu mob led a procession, during which they targeted and vandalised 5-6 shops owned by Muslims, removing items from them. According to locals, the shops were specifically identified as Muslim-owned before being attacked.
“Today (Sunday), a mob gathered in the market and took out a procession during which they removed things from 5-6 shops and vandalised them. All these shops belonged to Muslims…,” Indian Express quotes Chamoli SP Sarvesh Panwar as saying.
The police officer reported that on Saturday, the minor’s father filed a complaint at Nandprayag police station, accusing Arif Khan, a salon worker in Nandanagar, of molesting his daughter on August 22.
“We got a complaint… that the accused exposed himself in front of his 14-year-old daughter… we lodged an FIR under relevant sections, including POCSO. The accused is on the run; we are trying to nab him,” Panwar said to the newspaper.
Security was stepped up in the area following the violence.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com.