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‘Mohammad’ Deepak held for allegedly assaulting businessman in Kotdwar

Deepak Kumar, the Kotdwar gym owner who gained national attention earlier this year for confronting Bajrang Dal members over the alleged harassment of a Muslim shopkeeper, was arrested on Thursday evening for allegedly abusing, assaulting and threatening a local businessman

Dehradun: Deepak Kumar, the Kotdwar gym owner who gained national attention earlier this year for confronting Bajrang Dal members over the alleged harassment of a Muslim shopkeeper, was arrested on Thursday evening for allegedly abusing, assaulting and threatening a local businessman, police said.

Police described the arrest as a preventive measure taken amid apprehension of a breach of peace. According to investigators, Deepak was taken into custody following a probe into a complaint lodged by businessman Sanjeev Tonk at the Kotdwar Kotwali police station. Tonk alleged that Deepak behaved rudely with him, used abusive language and threatened to kill him.

A case was initially registered against Deepak under Sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). During the investigation, police said Sections 196 (promoting enmity or disturbing harmony between different groups on grounds including religion, caste or language) and 115 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the BNS were added based on CCTV footage, photographs and other evidence.

Officials said the probe revealed a prima facie case that Deepak had abused the complainant and threatened to kill him. Considering the evidence and the potential for disturbance to law and order, Deepak was arrested under Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which allows preventive arrest to stop the commission of a cognisable offence.

As a security measure, police conducted a flag march in the Kotdwar Municipal Corporation area late on Thursday evening.

Deepak had made headlines in January after he intervened when some people objected to the use of the word “Baba” in the name of an elderly Muslim shopkeeper’s establishment in Kotdwar. During an argument with the protesters, Deepak identified himself as “Mohammad Deepak”. A video of the incident subsequently went viral on social media, following which he became widely known by that name, police said.

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