Muslim-owned businesses attacked in Indian resort town after schoolgirl allegedly raped

Hindu mob vandalises shops and eateries and thrashes their Muslim owners in Nainital

Sectarian tensions are running high in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand after the arrest of a man for allegedly raping a schoolgirl prompted Hindus to attack Muslim-owned businesses.

A group of Hindu men went on a rampage in the popular tourist town of Nainital on Thursday, vandalising shops and eateries owned by Muslims during a protest against the alleged rape.

A woman had filed a police complaint on Wednesday accusing a 75-year-old Muslim man of raping her 12-year-old daughter. The man was promptly arrested, senior police officer PN Meena said.

The girl was living with a relative in Nainital while her mother stayed in Sambhal region of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state, The Hindu reported. The suspect allegedly lured the girl with money and raped her in a car in his garage.

The girl saw her mother in April and “narrated the incident to her”, Mr Meena said. The woman complained to the police who arrested the accused. “Strict action will be taken against him,” Mr Meena said, referring to the accused.

A mob gathered near the police station after news of the man’s arrest spread and, after learning his identity, marched to his place of work near the market, local media reported.

They were soon attacking shops and eateries in the Mallital area owned by Muslims. Social media videos showed members of the rampaging mob dragging out shop owners and brutally thrashing them, while others vandalised their establishments and vehicles.

The agitation continued past midnight, and reportedly saw stones thrown at a mosque.

On Friday, shops and schools in Mallital were shut and police were deployed in strength.

The Uttarakhand High Court directed police to maintain law and order and prevent large gatherings. The court also asked authorities to keep a tab on online rumour-mongering to prevent further the violence from flaring up.

Authorities, meanwhile, served a notice to the accused man claiming his property was illegal and would be demolished if a case demonstrating otherwise was not presented before them.

A group of local residents submitted a memorandum to the Nainital administration demanding verification of “outsiders” from a particular community, presumably meaning Muslims, and scrutiny of their property purchases.

Mr Meena said the situation was under control after police had prevented a “riot-like situation”. “We are trying to identify the locals who indulged in disruptions,” he said.

A video shared widely on social media showed a woman confronting the agitators for attacking innocent Muslim business owners and not even mentioning the alleged victim.

“Why are you assaulting innocent shopkeepers? This is wrong. Why are you making it a Hindu-Muslim issue,” she could be heard saying.

India has been riven by rising religious polarisation and violence since Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP took power over a decade ago. The Himalayan state of Uttarakhand is ruled by the BJP as well.

The sectarian violence in Nainital came amid heightened anti-Muslim sentiment in the country in the wake of a terror attack in Kashmir on 22 April that killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists. The attack led to threats of violence and eviction against Kashmiri Muslims in various Indian states.

Sexual violence against women is a major problem in India. According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau data, the country reported 445,256 cases of crimes against women in 2022, a 4 per cent increase from the previous year. That is almost 51 formal complaints every hour, yet women's groups say the actual number is likely far higher as many cases go unreported.