Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair on Monday was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police in connection with a ‘misleading tweet’ which allegedly hurt religious sentiments too.
A senior police official said that it was a separate case lodged against Zubair under sections 153-A (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot — if rioting be committed — if not committed) and 295A (Outraging religious feelings of any class) of the Indian Penal Code.
The case was registered based on a complaint regarding an offending tweet allegedly posted by Zubair, said Police.
“Our team of The Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police’s special cell has arrested him,” said the official.
“Today, during the course of investigation of a case registered u/s 153A/295A IPC against Mohammed Zubair, he joined in the investigation and after having sufficient evidence on record, he was arrested. He is being produced before the duty magistrate for seeking further PC remand,” said the police.
The Special Cell will also write to Twitter to preserve his tweets of six months to one year.
Pratik Sinha, another co-founder of Alt News, shared a message on Twitter about Zubair’s arrest.
Sinha claimed that Zubair was being investigated by Delhi Police special cell for a 2020 case. He claimed Zubair already had protection against arrest in this case from Delhi High Court. However, at 6:45 PM he was informed of another FIR on him and he was subsequently arrested.
Meanwhile, DIGIPUB, an organisation of digital new media organisations, strongly condemned the arrest of Mohammed Zubair.
The media organisation in a statement said, ” In a democracy, where every individual possesses the right to exercise the freedom of speech and expression, it is unjustifiable that such stringent laws are being used as tools against journalists, who have been accorded the role of playing watchdog against the misuse of the institutions of the state.”
DIGIPUB also urged the Delhi Police to withdraw the case immediately and said “we stand firmly with Zubair.”
— With media inputs
