Deepak Kumar, popularly known as ‘Mohammad Deepak,’ has said he may vacate his gym and move out of Kotdwar due to financial fragility that has emerged ever since he stood up against the harassment of a Muslim shopkeeper.
The 42-year-old Hulk Gym operator said he has been asked to clear over four months of pending rent or vacate the premises. “My landlord has given me an ultimatum since I could not pay the rent for the last four months. I now think of selling the equipment and moving out of the city to take up a job,” Deepak told PTI.
On 26th January, 2026, Mohammad Deepak stood against the harassment of a 70-year-old Muslim shopowner over using the word “baba” in his name. The owner, Wakeel Ahmed, a 70-year-old man, was asked to remove the word ‘Baba’ from his shop’s name, claiming that it referred to Baba Sidhbali, who is linked to a prominent Lord Hanuman temple in the town.
The owner, Ahmed, was met with abuse and assault, drawing a growing crowd. Deepak Kumar was also present where the incident unfolded, but he did not remain a silent spectator. What followed would come to define the story of “Mohammad Deepak.”
He moved forward to intervene and stop the mob from assaulting the elderly shopkeeper.
“I was sitting in the shop next door. When I got up and came out, I saw that Baba was being attacked. I tried to talk to them because an elderly man was being assaulted,” Deepak told FoEJ Media.
“When I tried to stop them, they asked me, ‘Who are you? What is your name?’” he said.
To this repeated question, Deepak replied that he was speaking from the side of humanity.
“The mob asked me my name. I said, ‘What does my name have to do with this?’ But when they kept insisting, I replied, ‘My name is Muhammad Deepak'” he said talking to FoEJ Media.
The statement, captured on camera, made rounds on the internet, gaining compliments for the bravery of “Muhammad Deepak.” On the other hand, it attracted negativity too, creating pandemonium in Deepak’s life.
Days after the incident, on 30th January, when the matter seemed to have settled down, another post made rounds on the internet—but this time, it was a threat.
“A post was made from the Bajrang Dal saying that they would come and teach me a lesson.” Deepak told FoEJ Media.
“Then on the 31st, Bajrang Dal members came, around 200–300 people gathered outside my gym, shouting abuses and creating a ruckus,” he said.
“Since then, my entire life has changed,” he said talking to FOEJ Media.
Ahead of the incident of 30 January, reports made rounds on the internet that several people had stopped coming to Deepak’s gym; as a result, the membership went drastically from 150 to just 15. However, amidst the loss, efforts were made by several people to support Mohd Deepak, resulting in a surge in membership to nearly 70 people a day, leaving him unable to meet the monthly rent of Rs. 40,000 for the gym.
Deepak hails from a modest background, with a mother, daughter, and wife in the family. His father passed away 15 years ago. He has been running a gym for nearly 30 years, which, after the incident, has faced a halt in livelihood. In the dark phase of the livelihood, a group of Supreme Court lawyers also teemed to pay the annual membership, but “it requires more” to run a gym, Deepak told Indian Express.
“When the membership drive was active, I used the amount for the EMIs and my child’s fees, and I could not pay the rent regularly. Now he has threatened me with eviction,” said Deepak while talking to Indian Express.
