SC Grants Interim Bail To Alt News Co-Founder Zubair In All 6 FIRs, Orders Immediate Release

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to fact-checking website Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in all the six FIRs registered against him in Uttar Pradesh.

The bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud observed that there was absolutely no justification in keeping Zubair in custody when the Delhi court had granted him bail in an FIR registered by its special cell for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through one of his tweets.

The court also ordered for disbanding of the SIT formed by UP Police for investigating the FIRs against him and transferred all cases registered against him across the country as well as in UP to the Delhi police. It would be applicable to all FIRs that would be registered in future on the same subject matter.

He will be immediately released from Tihar Jail on presenting a bail bond of Rs 20,000 before the magistrate court at Patiala House, the apex court ordered.

In his plea, Zubair had challenged the FIRs registered at Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad and two at Hathras and also the constitution of SIT. He also sought clubbing of all the FIRs registered against him.

On Friday, the HC granted Zubair bail on a personal bond and surety of Rs 50,000. He was also directed not to leave the country without its permission, news agency ANI reported.

He was arrested on June 27 by Delhi Police for the alleged 2018 tweet against a Hindu deity.