‘Mohammad’ Deepak arrested for ‘assaulting’ trader for Facebook comment on Ujjain mosque demolition

DEHRADUN: Deepak Kumar aka ‘Mohammad’ Deepak, who shot into limelight for confronting members of Bajrang Dal who were harassing an elderly Muslim shopkeeper in Kotdwar area of Garhwal early this year, was arrested on Thursday evening for allegedly assaulting a local trader over an online comment related to ‘partial’ demolition of a mosque in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.According to police, Sanjeev Tonk, the trader, accused Kumar, who used to run a gym, of assault over a comment made by him on a social media post purportedly uploaded by the latter.Pauri Garhwal SSP, Sarvesh Panwar, told TOI: “An FIR was registered against Kumar under BNS sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 351 (criminal intimidation). The complainant said ‘Kumar didn’t like one of his comments on Facebook’. So, he went to his shop and assaulted and threatened him on Thursday.”SSP added that since the punishment was less than seven years under the two BNS sections -- which prohibited arrests under legal provisions -- he was subsequently held under BNSS section 170 (arrest to prevent commission of cognisable offences).“Action was taken only after police sensed a law and order situation in the area. Kumar would be presented before the SDM under applicable laws on Friday,” he further said.In the two-minute-long video posted on his Facebook page on Sept 28, Kumar could be purportedly heard saying that “Muslims in Ujjain should protest peacefully and find an amicable solution to the matter”. The post went on to garner more than 19,000 likes and about 750 comments. One of the adverse comments was purportedly from Tonk.A Kotdwar resident, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, said the matter escalated Wednesday afternoon, when Kumar reached Tonk’s shop. “They had a heated argument,” he added.Stay updated with the latest Dehradun news. Download the TOI App.