‘Mohammed’ Deepak came into national attention after confronting a group of right-wing activists accused of harassing a Muslim shop owner and pressuring him to rename his store. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) directed the Kotdwar police to submit a status update on the investigation related to a First Information Report (FIR) registered against ‘Mohammed’ Deepak, a gym owner who came into national attention after confronting a group of right-wing activists accused of harassing a 71-year-old Muslim shop owner and pressuring him to rename his store.
The episode occurred on Republic Day, when members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal objected to the name of a long-standing garment shop, ‘Baba School Dress and Matching Centre’, owned by Wakeel Ahmed. As the situation intensified, Mr. Deepak intervened to protect the elderly man. A video of the incident later went viral, particularly highlighting the moment when he introduced himself as “Mera naam Muhammad Deepak” (my name is Mohammad Deepak).
Following the incident, Mr. Deepak received threats from right-wing supporters, and on January 31, a group assembled outside his gym in protest.
The police registered three FIRs in connection with the matter — a first against Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal members based on the shopkeeper’s complaint; another against Mr. Deepak, accusing him of snatching and disturbing public order, based on a complaint by VHP members; and a third against unidentified individuals who protested outside Mr. Deepak’s gym.
After the incident, Mr. Deepak attracted support from across the country. His business had suffered significantly as memberships declined due to his stance in defence of the shopkeeper, he said.
Navnesh Negi, Mr. Deepak’s counsel, stated that the petition before the High Court was filed in good faith to ensure that the contributions received by Mr. Deepak were not later used against him by the authorities.
The Bench, led by Justice Thapliyal, also directed Mr. Deepak to furnish details regarding donations received for his gym.
During the hearing, Mr. Negi further argued that while the police had lodged an FIR against the mob, without naming any accused despite video evidence identifying individuals, they had registered a specific FIR against Mr. Deepak, suggesting he was being unfairly targeted for his actions.
The High Court also asked the police to clarify why no case had been registered based on Mr. Deepak’s complaint against individuals who were clearly identifiable in the video recordings.
Published – March 17, 2026 08:44 pm IST
