FIT IN CONSULTANTS

Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair has moved the Supreme Court seeking bail in a case against him over a tweet he posted about Hindu seers.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves told the top court that his client, Mohammed Zubair, is facing death threats and worried about his personal safety. He urged the court to take up his bail application for urgent hearing.

The Supreme Court said it will hear the matter tomorrow, July 8, subject to registry listing the matter.

Zubair, arrested by Delhi Police last week, was produced in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur court on Monday in connection with an FIR lodged against him for allegedly calling Hindu seers “hate mongers”.

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 a Hindu group. The court sent Zubair to 14 days’ judicial custody in the case.

READ | Mohammed Zubair’s Alt News got donations from Pakistan, Syria: Delhi Police

ZUBAIR IN THE DOCK OVER 2018 TWEET

Mohammed Zubair was arrested by the Delhi Police last week in a case related to an allegedly objectionable tweet he had posted in 2018 against a Hindu deity.

Zubair was initially charged under sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) IPC.

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

A Delhi court on Saturday dismissed Zubair’s bail plea and sent him to 14-day judicial custody, citing the nature and gravity of the offences against him and observing that the probe in the case is at the initial stage.

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