The Uttarakhand police have registered an FIR against Deepak Kumar and Vijay Rawat, two men who intervened when members of right-wing groups allegedly harassed an elderly Muslim shopkeeper in Kotdwar on January 26, demanding that he change his shop’s name.
The police have also lodged an FIR against two named and a few unnamed men based on the complaint of the Muslim shopkeeper, Ahmed Wakil, who runs ‘Baba school dress’. The charges include trespassing, intentional insults intended to provoke breach of public peace, criminal intimidation, and causing hurt.
Another FIR was registered against unnamed members of right-wing groups on the charge of breach of peace for blocking a national highway on January 31 to express their anger over the intervention of Mr. Kumar and Mr. Rawat. All three FIRs were lodged on Saturday (January 31, 2026) evening, the police said.
Sarvesh Panwar, Superintendent of Police of Pauri Garhwal, told The Hindu on Sunday (February 1, 2026) that the FIR against Mr. Kumar and Mr. Rawat was lodged following a complaint filed by Gaurav Kashyap and Kamal Pal, members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal, respectively. They were booked on charges of criminal intimidation, voluntarily causing hurt, rioting, and breach of peace.
“The complainants alleged that the men [Kumar and Rawat] attacked them with the intent of harming them. They also alleged that their money, watches, and phones were snatched, and casteist slurs were hurled at them to intimidate them. The complainants claimed to have gone to the spot as part of a door-to-door outreach initiative,” Mr. Panwar said.
On January 26, members of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal allegedly confronted Mr. Wakil over the name of his shop and demanded that he change it. Mr. Kumar and Mr. Rawat, who run a gym nearby, stood up for the shopkeeper. In a purported video of the incident, when the mob asks his name, Mr. Kumar responds, “I am Mohammed Deepak.”
According to the police, members of right-wing groups raised slogans and took out marches in Kotdwar demanding action against Mr. Kumar and Mr. Rawat. They also blocked a national highway, leading to disruption of traffic.
The police said the FIR was lodged against the members of right-wing groups to maintain law and order and prevent escalation of tensions in the area. Mr. Kumar said his life was under threat and questioned why the police had filed an FIR against him while those who “abused the Muslim shopkeeper are roaming free”.
This story was originally published in thehindu.com. Read the full story here.
