Dehradun: Deepak Kumar, aka 'Mohammad' Deepak, a gym owner from Kotdwar in Pauri Garhwal who gained national prominence earlier this year for confronting Bajrang Dal members harassing an elderly Muslim shopkeeper, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly verbally abusing, assaulting, and threatening a local businessman, according to police.

Law enforcement authorities confirmed that the arrest was executed as a preventive measure following concerns over a potential breach of the peace.

According to police accounts, Kumar was taken into custody in the evening following an inquiry into a formal complaint lodged by businessman Sanjeev Tonk at the Kotdwar Kotwali police station.

In his complaint, Tonk alleged that Kumar acted aggressively towards him, used offensive language, and issued death threats, officers stated.

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An initial case was registered against Kumar under Sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), prompting an investigation.

As the probe progressed, police subsequently added Sections 196 (promoting enmity or disturbing harmony between groups on grounds including religion, caste, or language) and 115 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the BNS, relying on CCTV footage, photographic evidence, and other material gathered during the investigation.

Police reported that preliminary findings established a prima facie case indicating that Kumar had verbally abused the complainant and made threats against his life.

In light of the evidence and growing concerns over potential law and order disturbances, Kumar was arrested under Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which empowers authorities to make preventive arrests to avert cognisable offences, police said.

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To maintain public order and deter unrest, police units conducted a flag march across the Kotdwar Municipal Corporation area late on Thursday evening.

Kumar previously grabbed headlines in January after stepping in when a group objected to the word 'Baba' on the signboards of a shop run by an elderly Muslim trader in Kotdwar.

During the heated confrontation with the demonstrators, Kumar declared his name as 'Mohammad Deepak'. Video footage of the exchange went viral across social media platforms, leading to the moniker being widely associated with him, police noted.

PTI