DEHRADUN, Feb. 3 -- Deepak Kumar, the 46-year-old gym owner who recently confronted a group of right-wing outfit members who were harassing an elderly Muslim shopkeeper in Uttarakhand's Kotdwar, said his actions were rooted in Sanatan Dharma and the Bhagavad Gita.

A case has been filed against Kumar on a complaint by a Kotdwar resident who alleged that Kumar hurled caste-based slurs and attacked him with the intention to kill during the confrontation on January 26, when the issue began. This was the third police case registered in connection with this episode.

Kumar told HT over the phone that his actions were rooted in India's spiritual and cultural heritage, which teaches people to uphold truth and oppose discrimination.

"Our Sanatan...