New Delhi: The Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) has accused police and administration in Kashipur, Uttarakhand, of large-scale excesses against Muslims following a clash during the “I Love Muhammad” procession on September 21. In its fact-finding report titled Kashipur Silenced: Punitive Policing and the Burden of Dissent, the group disputes police claims that 400–500 procession members attacked officers and damaged vehicles. Eyewitnesses told APCR the march ended peacefully, with only a few minors remaining when police intervened with lathi-charge and harassment.
Seven people, including local leader Nadeem Akhtar, were arrested and nearly 500 individuals were booked. Residents alleged that children as young as 10–12 were detained in juvenile facilities and subjected to abuse. APCR reported that authorities used the incident to carry out sweeping reprisals, including bulldozing 20–25 shops in the Muslim-majority Alikhan area, forced installation of smart electricity meters, door-to-door ration card checks, sudden house tax notices, and multiple challans.
Beginning September 22, District Magistrate Nitin Singh Bhadauriya led a wider anti-encroachment drive that demolished over 200 shops, residences, and commercial structures. Residents described the measures as a repeat of the “Haldwani model” of collective punishment, recalling the February 2024 demolitions and police firing in Haldwani.
APCR warned that these actions have created a climate of fear in Kashipur, leaving residents unwilling to speak publicly or seek legal redress. It has demanded an impartial judicial inquiry and safeguards to protect the fundamental rights of affected families.
