Alt News’ Zubair moves SC for bail citing threat to life; hearing on Friday

Fact-checking website Alt News’ co-founder Mohammed Zubair on Thursday (July 7) approached the Supreme Court seeking bail in connection with a case registered against him in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly outraging religious feelings.

A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and JK Maheshwari said on Thursday that the matter be listed on Friday subject to clearance from the Chief Justice of India.

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Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for Zubair, said his anticipatory bail was rejected by the Allahabad High Court and subsequently he was arrested.

“I seek bail for him urgently. There are death threats for him. People on the other side doing hate speech are very anxious and they have said on the internet that they will try and kill him,” he said while urging the court to list the matter urgently.

“He made many enemies. Now, FIR was lodged against him, my main argument would be that a look at that FIR itself would show no crime,” he added.

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An FIR was lodged against Zubair in Uttar Pradesh under IPC section 295A (deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings) and section 67 of the IT Act here on a complaint by Hindu Sher Sena Sitapur district president Bhagwan Sharan on June 1.

Zubair was arrested by the Delhi Police on June 27 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through one of his tweets.

The Delhi Police has invoked new provisions — sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 35 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act — against Zubair.

On Monday (July 4), Zubair was produced in a court in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh. Zubair was produced in the court of the Sitapur judicial magistrate, who sent him to 14 days’ judicial custody. The Delhi Police took Zubair back to New Delhi afterward.

(With inputs from agencies)