Update: AltNews' Mohammed Zubair sent to 14-day judicial custody

A Delhi court on Saturday rejected the bail plea of fact-checker and AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair, sending him to 14-day judicial custody. Zubair was booked by Delhi police in a case related to an “objectionable tweet” he had posted in 2018. He was produced before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria on Saturday, said reports.

Delhi police had moved the court for a 14-day judicial custody application even as Zubair had filed a bail plea. The police added charges of criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence against Zubair. They produced Zubair before the court on the expiry of his five-day custodial interrogation. Police told magistrate Sarvaria that he was not required anymore for custodial interrogation.

New provisions

During the brief hearing, Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava also informed the court that police have invoked new provisions — Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code and section 35 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act — against Zubair.

The police also said Pravda Media, under which Alt News operates, received over Rs 2 lakh through various transactions wherein either the mobile phone number or the IP address was of foreign countries.

Also Read: Know about Mohammed Zubair, fact-checker, AltNews co-founder

From the analysis of a reply received from Razorpay payment gateway, it was revealed that there were various transactions in which either the mobile phone number was of outside India or the IP address was of foreign countries and cities, including Bangkok, Australia, Manama, North Holland, Singapore, Victoria, New York, England, Riyadh Region, Sharjah, Stockholm, Abu Dhabi, Washington, Kansas, New Jersey, Ontario, California, Texas, Lower Saxony, Bern, Dubai, Scotland, a statement issued by the police said.

After the police application, Zubair moved a bail plea before the court on the ground that he was not required for the investigation any further.

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Zubair’s advocate Vrinda Grover told the court that the phone seized by the police was not of the time the tweets were made. “The tweet is of 2018, the phone is which I (Zubair) am using presently. I haven’t even denied the tweet,” she said quoting Zubair.

Earlier, the probe agency confiscated Zubair’s cell phone and recovered a hard disk. Police have claimed that Zubair formatted his phone and deleted certain tweets.

Zubair was earlier booked under Sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) of the IPC.

IPC Section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) was also invoked against him later.