‘Mohammed’ Deepak arrested in Uttarakhand for ‘assaulting, threatening’ businessman - The Indian Express

‘Mohammed’ Deepak, the gym owner from Kotdwar in Pauri Garhwal who came into the spotlight earlier this year after confronting members of the Bajrang Dal over their alleged harassment of a Muslim shopkeeper, was arrested Thursday for allegedly abusing, assaulting and threatening a businessman, police said.

Police said Deepak Kumar alias Mohammad Deepak was arrested as a preventive measure, citing apprehension of a breach of peace and law and order. The arrest followed a complaint lodged by businessman Sanjeev Tonk at Kotdwar Kotwali on October 1. According to police, Tonk alleged that Deepak behaved rudely with him, abused him and threatened to kill him.

A case was initially registered under Sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Police said that during the investigation, they examined CCTV footage and available photographs and videos, and subsequently added Sections 196 (promoting enmity between different groups) and 115 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the BNS. Deepak will be presented in front of the Magistrate in Pauri Garhwal later on Friday.

“The evidence prima facie revealed that the accused abused the complainant and also threatened him,” the Pauri police said in a statement.

Police said the investigation also brought to light Deepak’s alleged involvement in “various social disputes” in the past that had “affected peace and law and order in the area”.

The police further claimed that they had received information about activities involving the gathering of people and creation of a “tense atmosphere”.

“Considering the available evidence, the activities of the accused and the possibility of disturbance to peace and law and order in the area, Kotdwar Police took prompt and effective action and arrested Deepak alias Akki alias Mohammad Deepak under Section 170 of the BNSS,” the statement said.

Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) provides for preventive action where police have reason to believe that a person is planning to commit a cognisable offence and that the offence cannot otherwise be prevented.

Police also carried out a flag march in the Kotdwar Municipal Corporation area on Thursday evening as a security measure.

Deepak had attracted attention in January after he intervened during a confrontation involving members of the Bajrang Dal and an elderly Muslim shopkeeper in Kotdwar.

The protesters had allegedly objected to the use of the word “Baba” in the name of the shopkeeper’s establishment. During the argument, Deepak identified himself as “Mohammad Deepak”. A video of the confrontation subsequently went viral on social media, after which he came to be known by that name, police said.

The Pauri police said it would continue to take legal action against those attempting to “take the law into their own hands”, issue threats, spread animosity or disturb peace and law and order.

“Maintaining peace, security and harmony in the district is the police’s highest priority,” the statement said.

An Award-winning journalist covering the state of Uttarakhand, Vidheesha Kuntamalla has reported on education, policy and social justice. She has broken news and written investigative stories on education, some of which have prompted responses from central universities and government authorities. She uses the Right to Information Act as a reporting tool and enjoys telling people-driven stories through long-form journalism. Vidheesha joined The Indian Express’s Delhi City team in 2023, where she has been part of the education coverage in the newsroom, reporting on policy, institutions, and issues affecting students and communities. Her journalism career began in 2020 as a freelance journalist after she left a career in civil engineering. She covered her home states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, focusing on gender, social justice, and politics. Vidheesha Kuntamalla Qualification, Degrees: Master of Science in Quantity Surveying from Kingston University, London Awards and Recognition: Vidheesha won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2024 for her long-form story on India’s first case of passive euthanasia. ... Read More