The Alt News co-founder was arrested on 27 June for posting an ‘objectionable’ tweet and ‘hurting religious’ sentiments
Mohammed Zubair was arrested for a 2018 tweet, where he shared a clip from a 1983 film Kissi Se Na Kehna. Image courtesy: @zoo_bear/Twitter
Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair on Thursday moved the Delhi High Court challenging the police remand granted by Patiala House Court to the Delhi Police Special Cell. The matter will be heard tomorrow.
On Tuesday the court had sent Zubair to a four-day police remand after noting that he is to be taken to his Bengaluru residence for recovery of his mobile phone and laptop.
The developments so far
The Delhi Police on Wednesday wrote to multiple banks seeking information about bank account details and other financial transactions of Zubair who was arrested on 27 June for an “objectionable” tweet. He stands accused of ‘hurting religious’ sentiments after posting the tweet against a Hindu deity in 2018.
“We are currently focusing on the source of donation and other financial transactions made into the bank accounts associated with Alt News. We have evidence that in the last three months, transaction amounting to Rs 50 lakh was made into one of the accounts. We are further analysing the transactions made from multiple bank accounts,” a senior police officer said.
He said Zubair will be taken to Bengaluru on Thursday in connection with the probe.
“Our team will take Zubair to Bengaluru tomorrow to seize the devices, including the mobile phone and laptop, that might have been used to post the tweet in question, and also to collect other evidence linked to the case,” the officer said.
Police had said that the objectionable tweet “led to a Twitter storm with hate speeches which was detrimental to communal harmony”. The officer also said that the mobile phone used by the journalist at present has been formatted and does not have information related to the case.
According to police, Zubair, when asked about the phone he used when he allegedly posted the tweet in question, said he had lost it.
Meanwhile, the anonymous Twitter handle, a complaint from which led to Zubair’s arrest, does not exist on the microblogging website anymore, sources in the Delhi Police said.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Zubair’s counsel Advocate Vrinda Grover said that the photo which he had used in the tweet was from a 1983 film by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Kissi Se Na Kehna, and that the film was not banned.
Grover said, “Zubair is a fact-checker. He exposes lies on social media. That’s why many people dislike it. He lives in Bangalore. He was called in Delhi for questioning. The notice was given for some other case and the arrest took place in another case.”
The court, however, rejected the submission, saying it was of no assistance to the accused at this stage.
The Delhi Police had also told the court that Zubair allegedly used controversial tweets to hurt religious feelings in an effort to get fame”.
On 20 June, a case against Zubair was registered under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, language etc.) and 295A (deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the DCP said.
However, he was arrested in connection with one of his tweets posted in the year 2018 that had a questionable image with a purpose to deliberately insult the god of a particular religion, he said.
With inputs from agencies
Also read:
Explained: The two cases against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair and the reason for his arrest
Journalist Mohammad Zubair arrested in Delhi for ‘hurting religious sentiments’
Zubair received Rs 50 lakhs in last three months, likely to be taken to Bengaluru: Delhi Police
Opposition, media bodies condemn Zubair’s arrest; BJP points to ‘chequered past’
Delhi Police get custody of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair for four more days
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