A Delhi court on Tuesday remanded Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in four-day police custody in the 2018 tweet case in which he had posted a derogatory message against a Hindu deity. The police had sought a five-day custody of Zubair.
During the hearing, advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for Zubair, argued that Zubair was being “maliciously targeted” and that the entire case “borders on absurdity.” He said the photo which the accused used in the tweets is of an old Hindi film from 1983 by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, “Kissi Se Na Kehna”, and that the film was not banned.
Rebutting Zubair’s counsel’s arguments, the Delhi Police counsel argued that Zubair’s “deliberate act of outraging religious sentiments was on record” and therefore his police remand was required. The Delhi Police also told the court that Zubair allegedly “used controversial tweets to hurt religious feelings in an effort to get fame.”
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria passed the order after hearing arguments. Zubair was produced before the court on the expiry of his one-day custodial interrogation.
“Considering that mobile phone/laptop of accused used by him for posting the tweet in question is to be recovered at the instance of accused Mohammed Zubair from his Bangalore residence and that accused has remained non-cooperative, four days PC (police custody) remand of the accused is granted since accused is to be taken to Bangalore,” stated the order.
The CMM directed that Zubair be produced before the court on July 2, and further asked the investigating officer to get medical treatment of the accused conducted as per rules.
Delhi Police officials on Tuesday said that Zubair’s objectionable tweet of 2018 led to a Twitter storm with hate speeches, detrimental to communal harmony. “In such cases, finding the gadget used to post such tweets and the intention behind posting such a tweet is important. During questioning, he has been evasive on both the fronts. We found out that his phone was formatted. His evasiveness formed the grounds for his arrest,” said KPS Malhotra, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Special Cell.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said without getting into the legalities, the big message by the BJP-led Centre is that the perpetrators of hate speeches would get political patronage and will be out either on bail or otherwise, and people who report that will be behind bars.
Prominent Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Tuesday termed as “discriminatory” the arrest of Zubair and demanded that the Government take “fair action” in the matter respecting the country’s reputation at the international level.
Jamiat president Maulana Mahmood Madani also wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah saying “the discriminatory nature” of the functioning of law enforcement agencies is condemnable. The Editors Guild of India and the Press Club of India on Tuesday described Zubair’s arrest as “extremely disturbing” and demanded his immediate release.