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Uttarakhand: Hindu Raksha Dal chief, 2 others booked for threatening ‘Mohammad’ Deepak
Police register FIR against Hindu Raksha Dal chief Lalit Sharma and two others for announcing ₹5.51 lakh reward for killing Kotdwar gym owner
Dehradun: Police booked three people, including Uttarakhand’s Hindu Raksha Dal chief Lalit Sharma, for allegedly threatening and announcing a ₹5.51 lakh reward for killing Deepak Kumar, a gym owner who defended an elderly Muslim shopkeeper when Bajrang Dal men harassed him in Kotdwar.
Sharma made the statement while speaking outside Rishikesh police station on Thursday, after they were stopped from reaching Kotdwar in Pauri Garhwal to stage a protest outside Deepak Kumar’s gym.
On January 26, Kumar intervened after a group of Bajrang Dal men harassed a 70-year-old Muslim shopkeeper in Kotdwar over the name of his shop, “Baba School Dress and Matching Centre”. The Bajrang Dal men objected to the use of the word “Baba”, claiming it referred to Baba Sidhbali, a local deity associated with Lord Hanuman, whose famous temple is located in the town.
Kumar was standing outside a friend’s shop when he stepped in. During the exchange, the Bajrang Dal men asked Kumar his name, to which he replied that his name was Mohammad Deepak. A video of the incident later went viral on social media, after which Kumar began to be referred to as Mohammad Deepak.
The Hindu Raksha Dal, another Hindu right-wing organisation, later threatened Deepak and announced a protest outside his gym in Kotdwar town of Pauri Garhwal district on Thursday.
The FIR against the accused was registered under sections 196(1) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Rishikesh police station on the complaint of sub-inspector Manish Panwar.
Besides Sharma, the FIR names two others — Mahant Anupam Giri and Shivmohan Baba.
“The police stopped 25 to 30 men when they were on their way to Kotdwar on Thursday and brought them to Rishikesh police station. After we allowed them to go, the accused made an inflammatory statement while speaking to the media. We have registered the FIR, and our investigation into the matter is underway,” Rishikesh circle officer Neeraj Semwal said.
Earlier, a man from Bihar announced a reward for killing “Mohammad” Deepak. However, he later apologised, saying he did it to gain followers on social media.
