After calling out former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s remarks in the Prophet controversy, Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair was taken into custody by the police on Monday and given a one-day detention.
According to a senior Delhi Police officer, journalist Mohammed Zubair, who is also the co-founder of the fact-checking website Alt News, has refused to turn over any personal electronic devices he used in 2018 and could have used to make the “highly provocative” social media post “against a particular religious community” that resulted in his arrest yesterday.
When questioned, police claimed Zubair was non-committal and refused to supply the required technical equipment or cooperate with them. Zubair and his legal counsel have not yet made any comments on this.
Weeks after calling attention to Nupur Sharma’s remarks in the Prophet controversy as an ex-BJP spokesperson, Mohammed Zubair was detained on Monday. After that, he spent a day in police custody.
A sub-inspectorâs complaint led to the filing of the FIR against the journalist. According to officials, the document isn’t available online due to its sensitivity.
While keeping an eye on social media, the complainant came across a post calling for Zubair to be punished for a tweet that read: âBEFORE 2014: Honeymoon Hotel. After 2014: Hanuman Hotel.â Along with the tweet, a picture of the hotel’s signboard was published.
The FIR stated, âWords and the picture found to be used by Mohammed Zubair – @zoo_bear – against a particular religious community and are highly provocative and more than sufficient to incite feeling of hatred among people which can be detrimental for maintenance of public tranquility.â
Pratik Sinha, a co-founder of Alt News and Zubair’s colleague, claims that Zubair was taken into custody without having been given notice, which is required by law for the sections under which he has been detained. Additionally, he claimed that none of the police officers in the van used to transport Zubair had name tags on them.
In response to a tweet from a TV news outlet that included screenshots of the remand document, he tweeted on Tuesday, â⌠Zubair’s lawyers haven’t been provided the copy despite multiple requests to the concerned police personnel.â
Online outrage over Mohammed Zubair’s arrest has been accompanied by statements of solidarity from journalists, activists, and opposition figures.
Rahul Gandhi, a congressman, tweeted: ” Every person exposing BJP’s hate, bigotry and lies is a threat to them. Arresting one voice of truth will only give rise to a thousand more. Truth ALWAYS triumphs over tyranny.” Gandhi was joined by the leader of AIMIM and MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Derek O’Brien of the Trinamool Party, and a Rashtriya Janata Dal member in condemning the government.
Every person exposing BJP's hate, bigotry and lies is a threat to them.
Arresting one voice of truth will only give rise to a thousand more.
Truth ALWAYS triumphs over tyranny. #DaroMat pic.twitter.com/hIUuxfvq6s
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 27, 2022
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