Supreme Court stays FIR against gym owner in Bajrang Dal case

The Supreme Court on Monday, August 31, 2026, stayed the criminal proceedings against gym owner Deepak Kumar, who gained national attention earlier this year for confronting a group of Bajrang Dal workers harassing a Muslim shopkeeper in Uttarakhand. The court also stayed a High Court order that had previously barred Kumar from discussing the incident on social media. The case stems from an incident on January 28, 2026, in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand. According to reports, Bajrang Dal workers had been objecting to the name "Baba Dress" on a shop owned by Mohammad Shoaib, claiming it could be confused with a Hindu temple. When the workers confronted Shoaib again on January 28, Kumar intervened.