The Supreme Court has stayed proceedings arising from an FIR against Dehradun gym owner Deepak Kumar, who was booked after a confrontation involving Bajrang Dal members and a Muslim shopkeeper. The court also stayed a High Court order that had restrained him from posting on social media about the incident and the case.
Supreme Court grants interim protection
A bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta passed the interim order while issuing notice on Deepak’s petition challenging the High Court’s refusal to quash the FIR. The notice is returnable in four weeks.
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The Supreme Court directed that proceedings pursuant to the FIR remain stayed in the meantime. It also stayed the effect and operation of the High Court order, including the restriction concerning social media posts.
The case arises from an incident in which Bajrang Dal members allegedly objected to a Muslim shopkeeper using the word “Baba” in the name of his shop. According to submissions made before the Supreme Court, Deepak intervened during the confrontation.
When members of the group asked him his name, he replied, “Mohammed Deepak.” A video of the incident, which took place on Republic Day, later circulated widely on social media.
Counsel questions FIR and social media restriction
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Deepak, told the court that his client had gone to assist the shopkeeper after the incident. He argued that Deepak himself had lodged complaints regarding what had happened, but no action was taken on those complaints while an FIR was registered against him.
Singhvi questioned how a person acting as a good samaritan could face such a complaint and referred to videographic evidence while challenging the reasoning of the High Court order.
He also pointed out that a rioting charge under Section 191 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita had initially been invoked against Deepak but was later dropped after it was found that the necessary ingredients of the offence were not made out.
Singhvi further argued that the offences invoked against Deepak carried imprisonment of less than seven years and that the principles laid down by the Supreme Court in the Arnesh Kumar case were therefore applicable.
The senior counsel also criticised the High Court’s restriction on Deepak posting messages or videos about the incident on social media, describing it as a blanket gag order.
FIR proceedings stayed for four weeks
After hearing the submissions, the Supreme Court stayed further proceedings arising from the FIR and suspended the High Court’s social media restriction pending further consideration of the matter.
Deepak had approached the Supreme Court after the High Court declined to quash the FIR. His petition challenges both the continuation of the criminal case and the restriction imposed on his online posts concerning the incident.
The matter is titled Deepak Kumar @ Akki vs State of Uttarakhand, Diary No. 49709/2026.
