Now, UP Court Sends Mohammed Zubair To 14-Day Judicial Custody

Lakhimpur: There’s no end to Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair’s woes.

A local court in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri on Monday sent the fact-checking portal’s co-founder to 14 days’ judicial custody in a case registered against him on court directive last year, on charges of promoting enmity between groups.

The Supreme Court had, on Saturday, granted five days’ interim bail to Zubair in the case registered in Sitapur, but he remained in custody of Delhi Police, which had arrested him over charges of hurting religious sentiments.

Lodged at Sitapur district jail, Zubair today appeared before Lakhimpur Kheri court through video conference.

Local TV journalist Ashish Kumar Katiyar filed the case on September 18, 2021, at Mohammadi police station in Lakhimpur Kheri, claiming that Zubair had circulated false news on content broadcast by his channel, disturbing communal harmony.

Local police didn’t entertain his complaint, before Katiyar moved court seeking directions for registration of FIR. The court directed an FIR to be lodged against Zubair under IPC Section 153A (promoting enmity between two groups).

On Monday, Lakhimpur Kheri police also moved an application in the court seeking 14 days’ police custody of Zubair to question him.

“Zubair appeared before the court of additional chief judicial magistrate Ruchi Srivastava through video conference in the case. The court sent him to 14 days’ judicial custody remand,” said additional prosecuting officer (Lakhimpur Kheri) Awdhesh Kumar.

The court will hear the petition for police custody of Zubair on July 13, said additional prosecuting officer (Lakhimpur Kheri) Awdhesh Kumar.

According to SP (Lakhimpur Kheri) Sanjiv Suman, Zubair is likely to be taken to Delhi for appearance in Supreme Court on Tuesday.