Deepak Kumar Needs Help: Journalist Ajit Anjum Comes Forward to Support Ousted Uttarakhand Gym Owner
The fragile social fabric of small towns is undergoing a disturbing transformation as local business disputes turn into communal battlegrounds. In Kotdwar, Uttarakhand, a gym owner named Deepak Kumar—popularly known across social media as "Mohammad Deepak"—is facing a devastating financial crisis and the immediate threat of eviction from his fitness center, Hulk Gym.
This severe downfall began on Republic Day, when the 38-year-old fitness trainer took a bold stand to protect a 70-year-old Muslim garment seller, Vakil Ahmed, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease. An aggressive mob associated with right-wing groups was harassing the elderly man, demanding that he remove the word "Baba" from his shop banner. When Deepak intervened, the agitators demanded his identity, to which he boldly responded, "Mera Naam Mohammad Deepak." While this singular act of human solidarity quickly went viral across the country, transforming him into a symbol of communal harmony, the local aftermath has revealed a much darker reality. Instead of being celebrated, Deepak has faced severe economic isolation, with radical elements spreading hostility and organizing a systematic boycott that now threatens his entire livelihood.
The economic consequences hit Deepak Kumar hard and fast. Before the incident, Hulk Gym boasted a thriving community of 150 active members. Almost overnight, that number plummeted to just 15 as fear, intimidation, and social pressure took over the town.
Radical operatives reportedly conducted door-to-door visits, specifically targeting families to pressure parents into stopping their children from attending the gym. By turning a simple fitness space into a prohibited zone, these elements have effectively weaponized an economic boycott, teaching the younger generation that empathy toward other communities carries a heavy punishment.
Although subsequent solidarity campaigns temporarily helped revive the numbers to around 65 members, the recovery remains vastly inadequate. With a heavy monthly commercial rent of ₹40,000, Deepak has been unable to clear his dues for four consecutive months, leading to a crushing debt of over ₹2,000,000. His landlord has now issued a definitive 15-day ultimatum to vacate the premises. This business collapse has triggered a dangerous domino effect, threatening a default on his ₹17,000 monthly home loan installment for his newly built family house.
As institutional support remained complicated—with the Uttarakhand High Court turning down his petition to quash a related police case and directing him to stay off social media—Deepak was left with vanishing local support and shrinking revenues. Desperate and facing mounting debt, the fitness trainer was planning to liquidate his entire gym equipment just to settle his immediate liabilities and flee Kotdwar.
However, a major wave of support has arrived from the mainstream digital space. Renowned independent journalist Ajit Anjum has come forward through his widely followed YouTube channel to highlight Deepak Kumar’s plight. By bringing national attention to the systematic financial strangulation Deepak is facing, Ajit Anjum has amplified the call for citizens, well-wishers, and civil society to step in and offer financial and legal aid. Anjum’s intervention aims to provide a lifeline to the embattled trainer, challenging the coordinated prejudice and ensuring that an act of basic human decency does not result in total financial ruin.
If you wish to extend financial solidarity and support Deepak Kumar in saving his livelihood, his official business bank account details shared by journalist Ajit Anjum are listed below:
Account Name: The Hulk Zym
Account Number: 20100077679101
Bank: Bandhan Bank Ltd
IFSC Code: BDBL0002392
UPI ID: 3335547a@bandhan