Kashmiri Students Flee Dehradun Hostels, Spend Night Outside Airport As 'Threat' Video Sparks Panic

The Kashmiri students fled their hostels and waited outside Dehradun Airport until the terminal opened two hours later after a threat video triggered panic amongst them.

Several Kashmiri students have fled their hostels in Dehradun after a purported threat video released following Pahalgam attack sparked panic in the city.

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Several Kashmiri students fled their hostels in Uttarakhand's Dehradun after a threat video triggered panic amongst them. Six Kashmiri students sat outside the locked doors of Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun, Uttarakhand in the early hours of Thursday.

The students had arrived at the airport at around 3:30 AM after fleeing their hostel in panic after watching a video surfaced, showing a man warning all Kashmiri Muslims to leave the state by 10:00 AM or face "treatment". They waited outside the airport until the terminal opened two hours later amid the half-watch of two security guards, Times Of India reported.

According to the report, the man in the video, Lalit Sharma of the Hindu Raksha Dal, issued a deadline, saying "We will start from Dehradun." "We won't wait for the govt response... We have enough."

The threat quickly spread through social media and WhatsApp groups, reaching student hostels and triggering panic among Kashmiri students, who were already on edge following the recent terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam.

One of the students, enrolled in a paramedic programme at a private institute in Dehradun, said the sense of danger began earlier that day.

"A faculty member came to our room in the afternoon. He said there was an input that some people might come looking for us on Thursday," he said, as reported by TOI.

Initially, they were advised to move to a "safe house" temporarily. However, as the hours passed, fear amongst students began escalating once the video circulated more widely. Panicked students contacted the college CEO, booked flights, hired a taxi, and rushed to the airport, leaving their belongings behind.

Nearly 20 more Kashmiri students arrived at the airport by Thursday afternoon, most of whom had arranged their own departures. "Our exams were over anyway," the student said. "Summer vacation is starting. We are not coming back anytime soon." 

Meanwhile, there were other Kashmiris who worked at an educational institute in the city, but chose to stay. "We're here for work, to earn a living," he said. "But when these things happen, people don't see you as a teacher or a student. They see 'Kashmiri' and make assumptions. One of the victims in the Pahalgam attack was a Kashmiri who fought back against the terrorists. But no one mentions that," the Kashmiri man told TOI.

Case Registered Against Man In The Threat Video

Dehradun police on Thursday registered a case against Sharma under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for delivering hate speech, public provocation, and communal enmity. "The video falls within the definition of hate speech," SSP Ajai Singh told TOI. He further stated that police had also removed more than 25 inflammatory social media posts and issued strict warnings to those responsible.

As part of a wider security response, police have initiated outreach efforts to nearly 1,200 Kashmiri students residing in the city. "We're assuring them that their safety is our duty, regardless of their religion or the place they belong to," said SSP Ajai Singh. Security personnel have been deployed outside educational institutions, and discussions with college administrations are currently underway to ensure safety of students.

The broader police response includes outreach to nearly 1,200 Kashmiri students in the city. "We're assuring them that their safety is our duty, regardless of their religion or the place they belong to," Singh said. Forces have been posted outside educational institutions, and meetings with management are ongoing.