Uttarakhand HC Bars Gym Owner from Social Media in Case

The Uttarakhand High Court on Friday directed gym owner Deepak Kumar, known publicly as Mohammad Deepak, to refrain from making social media comments about an ongoing criminal case stemming from his confrontation with rightwing activists in Kotdwar on January 26. The court declined to quash the first information report filed against Kumar and instructed police to continue the investigation in line with Supreme Court guidelines.

The case originated from an incident on Republic Day in Kotdwar, Pauri Garhwal district, where Kumar intervened as members of the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad objected to a 71-year-old Muslim shopkeeper, Vakil Ahmed, using the word "Baba" in his store's name, claiming it had Hindu connotations. Kumar and another individual, Vijay Rawat, challenged the activists' actions, leading to a verbal clash. During the exchange, when asked his name, Kumar identified himself as Mohammad Deepak, though his legal name is Deepak Kumar. A video of the confrontation went viral on social media, drawing widespread attention and support for Kumar.

Following the incident, police registered an FIR against Kumar and Rawat based on a complaint from the activists,...