Uttarakhand High Court has turned down the plea of Deepak Kumar, who had introduced himself as "Mohammad Deepak" while rescuing an elderly Muslim from Hindutva bullies, to quash an FIR accusing him of attacking the goons.

The single-judge bench of Justice Rakesh Thapliyal also asked the gym owner from Kotdwar, who has become a secular-liberal hero of sorts, not to post about the incident on social media since the matter was sub judice.

A scuffle had broken out when Deepak stopped suspected Bajrang Dal members from intimidating shopkeeper Wakeel Ahmad, 65, near his gym in Kotdwar, Pauri Garhwal.

A police case was lodged against Deepak on a complaint from a purported eyewitness who accused him of attacking others. Deepak too lodged a police complaint identifying the bullies but the police FIR did not name them.

The police told the high court they had video footage showing Deepak shoving some people. Deepak had approached the high court asking the case against him be quashed and seeking directives to the police to provide him with security and name the bullies in the FIR.

Justice Thapliyal questioned Deepak’s demand for police security when he was himself an accused.

He asked Deepak not to comment on the incident on social media, saying this could affect the police inquiry.

The Hindutva goons had allegedly been trying to coerce Wakeel into removing the signboard of his shop, Baba School Dresses and Matching Centre. They argued that the Hanuman idol at the local Sidhbali temple was known as “Baba”, and Muslims must not use the Hindu god’s name.

They were allegedly preparing to attack Wakeel when Deepak intervened. Asked to identify himself, Deepak said his name was "Mohammad Deepak". As the incident became public, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi praised Deepak’s courage, met him in Delhi on February 23 and offered his support.