Deepak Kumar, the gym owner who intervened when a group allegedly harassed a 70-year-old Muslim shopkeeper in Uttarakhand’s Kotdwar, says his business has suffered heavily since the incident last month.
Speaking to Aaj Tak, Deepak said his gym — which operates from a rented building — earlier saw around 150 members walking in daily from morning till evening. “Now barely 12 to 15 people show up in a day,” he said, pointing to a sharp drop in footfall.
The episode dates back to January 26, when Deepak confronted a group that was pressuring the elderly shopkeeper to remove the word “Baba” from his shop’s name. During the heated exchange, someone in the crowd asked Deepak his name. He replied, “My name is Mohammad Deepak.” A video of the moment quickly went viral, putting him in the spotlight — but also, he says, bringing trouble.
On January 31, members of the Bajrang Dal gathered in protest against Deepak, though police intervened and stopped them. According to him, that day marked a turning point. “After the January 31 incident, people got scared,” he said, adding that many regular members stopped coming.
Deepak said the financial strain has been severe. “The gym is on the second floor and I pay Rs 40,000 in monthly rent. This is my family’s only source of income,” he said. He also revealed that he built a house six months ago and is repaying a loan of Rs 16,000 every month.
The stress, he said, has affected not just his work but his family as well. “My health got worse, though I’m a bit better now,” he said. He added that his daughter stopped attending school after the incident out of fear. “For the past two days she has started going again, but only if I go with her,” he said.
Deepak also claimed that on January 31, some Bajrang Dal members entered his gym while both male and female members were present. “They witnessed everything. They were frightened and stopped coming after that,” he said.
Despite the setbacks, Deepak says he is holding on to hope. He believes that with time, his members will return and things will slowly get back on track.