The Alt News co-founder was arrested last night on charges of “hurting religious sentiments and promoting enmity” and was sent to police custody for a day.
New Delhi: The tweet over which fact-checking website’s co-founder Mohammed Zubair was arrested last night contained words and pictures that are “highly provocative and more than sufficient to incite a feeling of hatred” among people, the First Information Report (FIR) by Delhi Police read.
In the tweet from March 2018, Mr. Zubair shared a frame from legendary filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1983 classic Kissi Se Na Kehna.
The image shows a hotel board that reads ‘Hanuman Hotel’ in Hindi. Paint marks suggest that it was earlier called ‘Honeymoon Hotel’ and brief changes were made to replace ‘Honeymoon’ with ‘Hanuman’.
In his tweet, Mr. Zubair said, “Before 2014: Honeymoon Hotel, After 2014: Hanuman Hotel”.
The Alt News co-founder was arrested last night on charges of “hurting religious sentiments and promoting enmity” and was sent to police custody for a day.
The FIR has been lodged based on a complaint by Delhi Police Sub-Inspector Arun Kumar. The policeman had said that he was monitoring social media when he came across a tweet from a handle named ‘Hanuman Bhakt’, objecting to Mr. Zubair’s tweet.
“Mohammed Zubair@zoo_bear has deliberately done transmission and publication of such posts through electronic media to insult the religious feelings of a particular community with the intent to provoke breach of the peace…,” the FIR said.
Alt News co-founder Pratik Sinha yesterday tweeted that Mr. Zubair was called to Delhi for questioning in a different case from 2020, in which the court has given him protection against arrest. But he was arrested in this new case instead, without mandatory notice, Mr. Sinha said. “No FIR copy is being given to us despite repeated requests.”
Various opposition leaders have strongly condemned Mr. Zubair’s arrest and slammed Delhi Police, which reports to the Union Home Ministry.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra tweeted “Delhi Police bending over backward to please sahibs & thumb nose at the law.
arrested on trumped-up case w/o notice while assisting in the case where HC has given him protection. While Ms. Fringe Sharma enjoys a life of protection at taxpayer expense for EXACT same offenses.”
Delhi Police bending over backwards to please sahibs & thumb nose at law.@zoo_bear arrested on trumped up case w/o notice while assisting in case where HC given him protection.
While Ms. Fringe Sharma enjoys life of protection at tax payer expense for EXACT same offences.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) June 27, 2022
“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.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi 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. #DaroMat pic.twitter.com/hIUuxfvq6s
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 27, 2022
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