Deepak Kumar gained national attention after he intervened when Bajrang Dal members were allegedly intimidating a 71-year-old Muslim shopkeeper.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh has come out in support of “Mohammed” Deepak, the Uttarakhand gym owner who says he is struggling to keep his business afloat after a high-profile incident in Kotdwar earlier this year.
Deepak Kumar came to national attention after intervening in a dispute between an elderly Muslim shopkeeper and a group associated with… Hindu nationalist group, Bajrang Dal. Now, the gym owner says mounting financial pressures, including four months of unpaid rent, may force him to sell the equipment and leave town.
Singh wrote on
What started this issue
On January 26, alleged members of the Bajrang Dal objected to the name of the clothing store “Baba School Clothes”, run by 71-year-old Wakil Ahmed.
The men claimed that the word “Baba” should not be used by a Muslim man in his store, and they pressured the store owner to change the name. The group was allegedly intimidating the elderly man when Deepak Kumar intervened.
I asked him about his name and he replied:My name is Muhammad Deepak.
He later explained that he used this identity to show unity and equal rights between communities, rather than religious division. A video of the confrontation circulated at the time.
Read also | Why did the court question “Mohamed” Deepak’s request for police protection?
Who is “Mohammed” Deepak?
Deepak Kumar is a 42-year-old gym owner locally known as “Mohammed” Deepak, who runs the “Hulk” gym in Kotdwar. Now he says he may have to leave town. He said he had not paid rent for four months and his landlord asked him to vacate.
“The landlord has given an ultimatum as I have not been able to pay the rent for the last four months. I am now thinking of selling the equipment and moving out of the city to take up a job,” Deepak told PTI. He said the monthly rent was $40,000, but his gym had only 60-65 members, which was not enough to cover the costs.
Deepak also alleged that his work was influenced by pressure from local activists associated with the BJP and Bajrang Dal. “These activists visit the homes of gym members whose parents belong to the BJP to dissuade them from coming to the gym,” he told PTI. “This targeted campaign has severely destabilized my business,” he added.
What led to this?
On January 31, days after he stood up to the elderly Muslim man, a group gathered outside the store and near Deepak’s gym. Roads were closed and slogans were raised. The police have registered several FIRs related to the incident. Deepak said his gym faced unrest after that, and his clients were under pressure as well.
Read also | ‘Rahul Gandhi says he will join my gym: ‘Mohammed Deepak’ after meeting Congress leader
He said at the time: “I am not a Hindu, I am not a Muslim, I am not a Sikh, and I am not a Christian. First and foremost, I am a human being. Because after I die, I must answer before God and humanity, and not before any religion.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also praised Deepak and described him as a defender of the Constitution and humanity. He accused the ruling party in Uttarakhand of siding with groups that spread fear.
Legal issues associated with the accident
HT had earlier reported that the police had registered three FIRs in connection with the incident. The first is against 30-40 unidentified people associated with the Bajrang Dal and other groups for blocking roads and disturbing public peace during the protest.
As for the second case, it is based on a complaint filed by Ahmed’s agent, alleging offensive and class-based statements by the demonstrators. The third was against Deepak Kumar and others, accusing them of using insulting language and threatening violence during a subsequent confrontation.
Deepak Kumar also approached The Uttarakhand High Court is seeking to quash the FIR against him and seek police protection.
What the Supreme Court said
The Uttarakhand High Court rejected his request for police protection and criticized parts of his petition. The court said that the accused could not request police protection and described such requests as inappropriate at this stage. She also said police were able to ensure safety, and said there was no strong evidence of a threat.
The court also described some of the demands in the petition as “illogical” and said they could put pressure on the investigation, PTI reported.
Now, amid financial difficulties, people online have also donated to Deepak, as seen in the comments section of Sanjay Singh’s post.
Anita Goswami is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she primarily covers Indian and international news. With four years of experience in the field, she has led coverage of Indian general elections, Assembly elections, and national polls in the US, Canada, Bangladesh and Nepal. Its reports cover world wars and major events, including Operation Sindoor, the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina, and the Mahakumbh Mela. It verifies the facts and uses clear sources to ensure the accuracy of the reports. As a former Editor-in-Chief at Storytailors, she has managed teams to produce high-quality content for networks such as NDTV, Profit, CNBC-TV18, Upstox and News18. Her work has appeared on NDTV, Meaww and Global Pulse. Throughout her tenure, Anita has collaborated with and received mentoring from leading industry experts. When she’s not reading, Anita can be found outside or at a bakery. Areas of interest: Indian political history, international elections, historical policy analysis, global conflicts, cultural events, Formula 1, art, media ethics, reporting on social and political change over time.Read more
