Gym owner Mohamad Deepak had 150 clients before row, now left with 15

A gym run by Deepak Kumar, who also identifies himself as “Mohammad Deepak,” has seen a sharp fall in membership after he stood up against a group allegedly harassing a 70-year-old Muslim shopkeeper in Kotdwar.

Deepak told Aaj Tak that the gym, operating from a rented building, once had around 150 members visiting daily from morning to evening. “Now the number has dropped to just 12 to 15 people a day,” he said.

The incident dates back to January 26, when Deepak confronted a group of people who were pressuring the elderly shopkeeper to remove the word “Baba” from his shop’s name. During the confrontation, when asked his name, Deepak told the crowd, “My name is Mohammad Deepak.” A video of the altercation went viral, bringing him into the spotlight but also attracting what he described as unwanted attention.

On January 31, several members of the Bajrang Dal gathered to protest against Deepak, but police stopped them. Deepak said the fallout from that day has badly affected his livelihood. “People are scared after the January 31 incident,” he said.

Explaining his financial situation, Deepak said, “My gym runs on the second floor and the rent is Rs 40,000 per month. This is the only source of income for my family. I built a house six months ago and I am still paying a monthly loan of Rs 16,000.”

He added that the stress also took a toll on his health and family. “My health deteriorated, though I am a little better now. My daughter stopped going to school after the incident. For the last two days, she has started going again, but only with me,” he said.

Deepak further claimed that on January 31, some Bajrang Dal members entered his gym while several male and female members were present. “They saw the entire incident. They got scared and stopped coming to the gym,” he said.

Despite the setback, Deepak said he remains hopeful. “I believe that after some time, those members will return to the gym,” he added.

- Ends

Without inputs from Vikas Verma.