A local court in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur has granted the UP police custody of Alt News cofounder Mohammed Zubair until July 14.
This is in connection with an FIR filed against Zubair in early June after he called Yati Narasinghanand, Mahant Bajrang Muni and Anand Swaroop “hatemongers” in a Twitter post. Narsinghanand, Muni and Swaroop are among 10 people booked in connection with hate speeches that took place at a Dharam Sansad held in Haridwar in December last year.
Earlier this week, the Sitapur court had remanded Zubair to 14 days in judicial custody but said at the time that he would remain in Delhi's Tihar jail, where he was lodged under another FIR.
Apologies, the police custody is from July 8 till July 14, and not till the 16th as reporter earlier.
— Ritika Jain (@riotsjain) July 7, 2022
ALERT: Sitapur court has granted UP police 7-day custody of Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair.
— Aishwarya S Iyer (@iyersaishwarya) July 7, 2022
This is for recovery of evidence, his phone, and interrogation.
Other than that, his bail which was moved yesterday, was denied by the same court today as well.
Zubair had approached the Supreme Court today seeking to quash this FIR against him after the Allahabad High Court had dismissed his petition to do so. The high court had said the investigation in the case hadn't taken place yet.
Zubair's lawyer told the apex court that his client was facing "death threats" and bail was being sought "on emergency". The Supreme Court agreed to list it tomorrow subject to clearance from the Chief Justice of India.
The FIR had been filed on the basis of a complaint from one Bhagwan Shara, a member of the Rashtriya Hindu Sher Sena, under sections 295 A of the Indian Penal Code and 67 of the Information Technology Act 2000. The sections pertain to deliberately insulting religious belief and publishing obscene material in electronic form, respectively.
Zubair is presently in judicial custody after being arrested on June 27 in connection with a satirical tweet he had posted four years ago. His post had referenced a 1983 film but he was arrested after an anonymous Twitter handle flagged it for "hurting religious sentiments".
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