The Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) directed the Kotdwar police to submit a status update on the investigation related to a First Information Report (FIR) registered against ‘Mohammad’ Deepak, a gym owner who came into national attention after confronting a group of right-wing activists accused of harassing a 71-year-old Muslim shop owner and pressuring him to rename his store.

The episode occurred on Republic Day, when members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal objected to the name of a long-standing garment shop, ‘Baba School Dress and Matching Centre’, owned by Wakeel Ahmed. As the situation intensified, Mr. Deepak intervened to protect the elderly man. A video of the incident later went viral, particularly highlighting the moment when he introduced himself as “Mera naam Mohammad Deepak” (my name is Mohammad Deepak).