Elderly Muslim man assaulted in Uttarakhand for offering namaz on vacant field ‘near’ temple

Trigger Warning: Footage Contains Use of Expletives

A video showing an elderly Muslim man offering namaz being assaulted, verbally abused, and forced to chant “Jai Sri Ram” has triggered outrage and widespread condemnation.

Alt News found that the incident occurred on February 24, 2026, in Jagatpur village of Rudrapur block in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar district. The victim, Shahid, a resident of Resham Bari, was offering Zuhr prayers in a vacant field near the Atariya temple when he was allegedly assaulted by Arvind Sharma, who is associated with the temple’s management.

In the video, Sharma is heard confronting Shahid and asking, “How dare you offer namaz on a Brahmin’s land?” He is seen hurling a stream of abusive and provocative slurs while physically assaulting him.

The footage, which has since gone viral, shows Shahid seated in a prayer-like posture behind a pillar-like structure in a vacant field when he is approached, confronted, and assaulted. The attacker, dressed in a pink kurta and salwar, is seen pushing him to the ground before repeatedly kicking and thrashing him. Other voices in the background can be heard saying, “Get the wooden rod,” and “Call police”. Through out the clip, the assaulters can be heard using choicest expletives.

“How dare you offer Namaz on Brahmin’s land?”
Shahid, A daily labour who was praying in an open field in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand, was kicked, beaten, made to apologize, and forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
The person seen beating him was Arvind Sharma, Temple Manager. A complaint… pic.twitter.com/SGCjPmn4Mp

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) February 25, 2026

 

In a video shared on X by the handle, Team Rising Falcon, Shahid, a daily wage labourer, narrated the incident.

He stated that he had been working in the nearby areas for the past 8 to 10 days. Since this was Ramzan time, he was offering Namaz at the Atariya Mela ground, a vacant field located near the Atariya temple, as the mosque was located far from that place and he had to resume work after his prayers. “I have been offering prayers here at the ground for the last three days… away from the temple, almost towards the drain. No one has raised any objection before this,” he said. 

Shahid said that he had filed a complaint against the assailant. 

Let us shed light on the incident from Rudrapur, Uttarakhand.
The victim has now given a statement to the media. The Muslim man said:
“I am a daily wage laborer and work nearby. It is the month of Ramadan. The mosque is a little far from here, and going there takes more time,… pic.twitter.com/ZLcxosiBgV

— Team Rising Falcon (@TheRFTeam) February 25, 2026

In an interesting turn of events, a woman named Sarita Sharma, who identified herself as the ex-wife of the accused, Arvind, issued a video statement after the incident condemning the attack on the Muslim man. She alleged that Sharma was a murder convict serving a life imprisonment and was currently out on parole. Saxena claimed that in the past, Sharma used to organize Iftar meals for Muslims during Ramzan. According to her, the apparent change in his behaviour could be an attempt to gain attention and publicity.

A new development has emerged in the Rudrapur assault case.
In Rudrapur, a laborer named Shahid was allegedly attacked while offering Namaz in an open field.
The incident, which sparked widespread outrage, has now taken another turn after a statement from the accused Arvind… pic.twitter.com/N3SCak3wai

— Team Rising Falcon (@TheRFTeam) February 25, 2026

After the incident sparked widespread outrage, Uttarakhand Police released a video statement confirming that a case had been filed regarding the assault at Pant Nagar police station. The case was currently under investigation, and strict legal action would be taken, Udham Singh Nagar SP Jitendra Chaudhary said.

Meanwhile, the accused, Arvind Sharma, too, spoke to local media outlets, and admitted to assaulting the elderly Muslim man, asserting that the incident occurred on his property and that he would not permit anyone to offer namaz there. “I will hit, I will thrash, but I won’t let anyone offer namaz at my place or in my property.” 

Sharma claimed that he had initially objected to Shahid praying on the site, but Shahid allegedly refused his objections. Sharma expressed no remorse and maintained that his actions were justified, and stated that he would not hesitate to repeat them if faced with the same situation. “Whatever I did was calculated, thought out and predetermined. It was not wrong. Whatever I did was right. If something like this ever happens again, I will again break their legs; that is not a problem.” Sharma added, “Police are investigating, but in the meantime, if he (Shahid) still comes here, he will meet the same fate. I have no issues doing it.” 

Sharma shared all his interviews on his Facebook profile. He also claimed that the Hindu Raksha Dal had submitted a complaint against Shahid for offering namaz on Sharma’s field despite repeated objections. Sharma alleged that this was a conspiracy to disrupt the harmony in the area.

Pantnagar police confirmed to Alt News that the incident occurred on February 24, 2026, and Arvind Sharma, the manager of the Atariya Mata temple, was the accused. According to police, the field where Shahid was praying belonged to Sharma. They stated that the charges against Sharma did not result in arrest or detention. The allegations include physical violence, verbal abuse, and intimidation with the intent to cause death. The case was still under investigation, they said. 

When asked about claims made by Sharma’s ex-wife — that he was convicted of murder and was currently out on parole — police did not confirm or deny the same, only stating that the matter was under investigation.