Mohd Zubair Approaches Apex Court For Bail, Cites Death Threats

Fact-checking website Alt News co-founder Mohd Zubair was arrested by the Delhi Police in June 2022 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments (Twitter)

Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair on Thursday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court’s refusal to quash the FIR registered against him for allegedly calling Hindu seers “hatemongers”. Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing Zubair, mentioned the matter before a vacation bench comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and J.K. Maheshwari and sought an urgent hearing on the plea.

Gonsalves said that a look at the FIR shows that there is no crime and there are death threats against his client. He added that they went to the Allahabad High Court, but no relief was granted and the court said it was premature. “Bail is sought on emergency. There are death threats on the Internet. If possible, list today at 2 pm…,” said Gonsalves. The bench agreed to list the matter on Friday, July 8.

On Monday, Zubair was produced in a court at Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh in a case registered over a tweet that allegedly referred to Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati and two other religious leaders as “hate mongers”. On June 3, a case was registered against him at the Khairabad police station on a complaint lodged by Hindu Lion Army district president Bhagwan Sharan.

On July 2, a Delhi court rejected the bail plea of Zubair in connection with an ‘objectionable tweet’ allegedly posted against a Hindu deity, and granted his 14-day custody as sought by the Delhi Police. He will be next produced before the court on July 16.

The Delhi High Court had earlier issued a notice to the Delhi Police on a plea moved by Zubair challenging the Patiala House Court’s order allowing his police custody and seizure of his laptop in connection with the alleged objectionable tweet.

Meanwhile, last month, the Editors’ Guild of India had termed Zubair’s arrest as “extremely disturbing” and demanded his immediate release.

“It is apparent that AltNews’ alert vigilance was resented by those who use disinformation as a tool to polarise society and rake nationalist sentiments,” the Guild said in a statement. The fact-checking website’s co-founder was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police on June 27 on charges of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and deliberate acts to outrage religious feeling.

“Zubair has been arrested under sections 153 and 295 of the Indian Penal Code. This is extremely disturbing because Zubair and his website AltNews have done some exemplary work over the past few years in identifying fake news and countering disinformation campaigns, in a very objective and factual manner,” the Guild had said.