Uttarakhand High Court Seeks Status Of Investigation Against Gym Owner 'Mohammad Deepak', Details Of 'Donations' Received By Him

The Uttarakhand High Court today directed the State Government to file a status report regarding the investigation into multiple FIRs arising from the January 2026 Kotdwar incident involving Deepak Kumar alias 'Mohammad Deepak'. A Bench of Justice Rakesh Thapliyal also directed the petitioner (Deepak) to provide a clear account of the 'donations' credited to his bank account till now, after a video of the incident involving him went viral on the internet. For context, the issue pertains to an incident of January 26, 2026, in Kotdwar (Pauri Garhwal), where a mob, allegedly belonging to the Bajrang Dal, confronted an elderly Muslim shopkeeper, Vakeel Ahmed, for using 'Baba' in his shop name Deepak Kumar, a local gym owner, had intervened in support of the shopkeeper. In a viral video, Kumar was seen confronting the mob, asking, "The shop is 30 years old, will you change the name?” When asked about his name, he had stated "My name is Mohammad Deepak". Following the incident, an FIR was lodged against Deepak and his associate, Vijay Rawat, based on a complaint by one Kamal Prasad. The FIR alleges that Kumar used derogatory language, snatched a mobile phone and threatened the group during a confrontation on January 28. Challenging the FIR, Deepak moved the High Court seeking quashing of the FIR against him as well as Police protection, claiming threats to his life and family. In his plea, he also sought a departmental inquiry against erring police officials. During the hearing in the case today, the petitioner's counsel argued that while the police registered an 'unnamed' FIR against the mob over the January 26 incident (despite video evidence identifying individuals), they registered a 'named' FIR against Deepak Kumar to victimise him for his intervention. The Court, however, expressed scepticism regarding the petitioner's plea for police protection and a departmental inquiry. Justice Thapliyal orally remarked that since an FIR has been lodged, the Police must be allowed to investigate the case, and at most, the status of the investigation could be called for. The Bench also took note of the averments made in the petition regarding the petitioner receiving 'donations' in small amounts (₹100, ₹500) in his bank account. "You get your instructions on how much money has been credited to your account." the Court remarked, directing the petitioner to disclose the total funds received till now. It may be noted that the petitioner, Deepak, himself volunteered to disclose before the Court the amount received by him, in order to demonstrate his bona fides.Against this backdrop, the Court has directed the State Counsel to obtain specific instructions on the following issues:* The current status of the investigation in the FIRs against the unnamed persons (January 26 incident) and Deepak Kumar.* The reasoning behind the police action (or lack thereof) on the specific complaint filed by the petitioner. The petitioner (Deepak) has also been ordered to file an affidavit regarding the donations deposited into his bank account. The matter is posted for a further hearing day after tomorrow.Advocate Navnish Negi appeared for the petitioner.

Uttarakhand High Court Seeks Status Of Investigation Against Gym Owner 'Mohammad Deepak', Details Of 'Donations' Received By Him

Sparsh Upadhyay

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