Another case slapped; Alt News' Zubair sent to 14 days' custody

Alt News’ co-founder Mohammed Zubair, arrested by Delhi police last week, was produced in a court in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh on Monday in connection with an FIR lodged against him for allegedly calling Hindu seers “hate mongers”.

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 afterwards.

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

Additional superintendent of police, Sitapur, NP Singh said the district police had issued a production warrant against Zubair in connection with a case registered at Khairabad.

Now, the district police have sought his custody and will act as per court orders, the officer said.

The FIR was lodged against Zubair 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.

Mohammed Zubair, a fact-checker, was arrested by the Delhi police last week in a case related to an ‘objectionable tweet’ he had posted in 2018 against a Hindu deity.

Zubair was arrested after an FIR was registered against him based on a complaint by Delhi Police Sub-Inspector Arun Kumar. The accused had posted an objectionable tweet in March 2018 that had the potential to incite a communal disturbance, the police said.

Three new sections have been added to the existing FIR which include, destruction of evidence, criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the violation of the Foreign Contributions (Regulations) Act.

Also Read: Journalist Mohammed Zubair of AltNews arrested in Delhi

A Delhi court had dismissed the bail petition filed by the accused. The court observed in the order that the investigation is at an early stage and there was no ground to pass the bail plea.