SC Grants Interim Bail To Alt News Co-Founder Mohammad Zubair But Will Remain In Jail

New Delhi: Supreme Court has granted interim bail to Mohammad Zubair, co-founder of the fact-checking portal Alt News, in the case registered against him in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur.

The top court also issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh police on Zubair’s plea challenging the Allahabad High Court order against him. The Allahabad HC had issued an order refusing to quash the FIR against him for a tweet wherein he allegedly called Hindu seers as ‘hate mongers.’

However, Zubair will remain in the custody of Delhi Police, which had initially arrested him over charges of hurting religious sentiments, India Today reported.

Justice Indira Banerjee, while issuing a notice to the UP government and police, said that Zubair is being granted interim bail with conditions. According to the terms of the interim bail order, Zubair has been directed not to go out of jurisdiction, or post tweets till the matter is decided.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested that the interim order be deferred till Monday, but the court did not accept it.

During arguments in the top court today (July 8), Zubair’s counsel, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, said, “A person who made hate speech has been granted bail but secular tweeter who exposed the venomous language has been jailed.”

Zubair has sought that the FIR against him in Sitapur be quashed after the local court sent him to 14 days of judicial custody in the case, which alleges that he hurt religious sentiments through his tweet.