SC lawyers back ‘Mohammad’ Deepak Kumar after right-wing outfit’s threats hit gym business; Uttarakhand town on high alert

DEHRADUN: Days after "Mohammad" Deepak Kumar claimed that his gym membership in Kotdwar had dropped from "over 150 to less than 20" after he stood for an elderly Muslim shopkeeper in the city, help has started pouring in for him from various corners of the country, including some Supreme Court (SC) lawyers."With threat calls against me on social media platforms and over the phone, I was worried about my family's safety. The dwindling membership numbers added to it. However, I was overwhelmed by the kind of support I received from many, including SC lawyers," Kumar, the gym owner, told TOI on Thursday. According to him, gym membership is his only source of income and almost all of those who called him over the phone offered monetary assistance. "But I refused as it would be against my conscience. Instead, I asked them to buy my gym membership, which is Rs 10,000 a year. For each membership bought by them, I would offer a free membership to anyone willing to join my gym, which at present is frequented by 17-18 members only. It would be like a sponsorship for that person," Kumar added.He further said, "My wife, who gives tuition to children at home, is working normally; and my daughter has started going to school. However, my mother's tea-stall business took a hit after those incidents. I haven't lost any hope though. I know I can always bounce back."A few days ago, Kumar claimed the gym membership had dropped drastically following the provocative demonstration purportedly by members of Bajrang Dal outside his gym on Jan 31, which led to tension in the otherwise peaceful hill town of Kotdwar in Pauri Garhwal.The right-wing members had reached the city from Dehradun and Rishikesh to confront Kumar after a video of him confronting their fellow members for putting pressure on the elderly man to change his 30-year-old shop's name, citing religion, was widely circulated. Earlier, Kumar had added "Mohammad" to his own name after some right-wing members had publicly asked him to reveal his identity.His friend, Vijay Rawat, who was seen alongside him confronting those men on both Jan 26 and 31, told TOI: "People are not coming to his gym, out of fear. What happened in the last fortnight shook everyone in Kotdwar which is a peaceful city..."Rawat was also named along with Kumar in the FIR filed on charges of physical assault and criminal intimidation, on the complaint lodged by a member of Bajrang Dal after the Jan 26 incident.Meanwhile, Pauri Garhwal SSP, Sarvesh Panwar, said that police were deployed near Kumar's gym as a "precautionary measure". Panwar added: "The security is to ensure Kumar's safety. We also registered FIRs on the threats received by him. We won't allow anyone to disturb the law and order."