The Uttarakhand High Court, on Thursday, March 19, came down heavily on Deepak Kumar, popularly known as “Mohammed Deepak,” saying he was attempting to “pressure the local police” by filing a plea to quash a first information report (FIR) registered against him.
Mohammed Deepak, who gained national prominence after he stood up against the harassment of an elderly Muslim shopkeeper by Hindutva members, approached the High Court to dismiss the FIR against him based on the right-wing workers’ complaint. He also sought police protection, citing threats to his and his family’s lives, and a departmental inquiry against police officials, alleging partisan conduct.
Hearing the plea, Justice Rakesh Thapliyal said that since an FIR has been lodged, the police must be allowed to investigate the case. “This is a complete abuse of process. They [police] are competent. Trust them. You are a suspected accused,” the court said.
He also pulled up Deepak Kumar, saying he is trying to “sensationalise the matter.”
“This is a pressure tactic. When you file a petition, you should keep in mind who you are and what your status is in the petition. Your status is that of a suspected accused. A person who is a suspected accused praying for a departmental inquiry. A suspected accused is praying for protection,” the bench said.
The High Court also directed Deepak to submit a detailed record of the donations he received after the video of the incident involving him went viral on the internet.
The matter has been posted for further hearing.
Background
On January 28, Bajrang Dal workers gathered outside the shop of 70-year-old Vakil Ahmed, demanding he change the name of his establishment from “Baba” to something else, claiming it was similar to that of a local deity.
The elderly man tried to reason with the right-wing members, but their voices rose with every passing minute. Deepak Kumar and his friends stepped in, confronting the Hindutva activists and standing up to the hate that has long been seeded in India’s public consciousness.
Deepak did not show fear and stood up to the Bajrang Dal members. “Are Muslims not citizens of India?” he is heard asking in the video. He identified himself as “Mohammed Deepak,” gaining a reputation as a “true Hindu” and “true Indian.”
The video of the incident went massively viral on social media platforms.
