Supreme Court stays proceedings against gym owner ‘Mohammad’ Deepak Kumar in rioting case

The Supreme Court on Monday halted legal proceedings against Deepak Kumar, a Dehradun gym owner, who is accused of rioting following a dispute over the name of his shop. The court's decision was made following an appeal by Kumar's lawyer, A M Singhvi, who argued that the charge of rioting did not apply to his client. Singhvi claimed that Deepak only intervened after Bajrang Dal workers questioned a Muslim shopkeeper over the use of the term "Baba" in the shop's name.

He also pointed out that the incident occurred on Republic Day and that a video of it was widely shared on social media.

Kumar's lawyer claimed that the high court's order restraining him from posting on social media was a "blanket gag order", and that although Kumar had lodged complaints, no action was taken. The court dismissed Kumar's plea, stating that the investigation agency should conduct the investigation fairly and transparently. The high court also refused to grant police protection or file a departmental inquiry against errant officials, stating that these constitutional reliefs were attempts to sensationalize the issue and hinder the ongoing investigation.