Businessman Sanjeev Tonk alleges Deepak used abusive language and threatened to kill him
Dehradun, Oct 2 Deepak Kumar, a gym owner from Kotdwar in Pauri Garhwal who came into the spotlight earlier this year for confronting Bajrang Dal members harassing a Muslim shopkeeper, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly abusing, assaulting and threatening a businessman, police said.
Police said the arrest was made as a preventive measure amid apprehension of a breach of peace.
According to police, Deepak was arrested in the evening after an investigation into a complaint filed by businessman Sanjeev Tonk at the Kotdwar Kotwali police station. Tonk alleged that Deepak behaved rudely with him, used abusive language and threatened to kill him, police said.
A case was first registered against Deepak under Sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and an investigation was initiated.
During the probe, police said Sections 196 (promoting enmity or disturbing harmony between different groups on grounds including religion, caste or language) and 115 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the BNS were also added based on CCTV footage, photographs and other evidence.
Police said the investigation revealed a prima facie case that Deepak had abused the complainant and threatened to kill him. Taking into account the evidence and the apprehension of a disturbance to law and order, he was arrested under Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which provides for preventive arrest to stop the commission of a cognisable offence.
As a security measure, police also carried out a flag march in the Kotdwar Municipal Corporation area late on Thursday evening.
Deepak had made headlines in January when he stepped in after some people objected to the word "Baba" in the name of an elderly Muslim shopkeeper's establishment in Kotdwar. During an argument with the protesters, he identified himself as "Mohammad Deepak". A video of the incident later went viral on social media, after which he became known by that name, police said.
