New Delhi, July 8 (UNI): The Supreme Court on Friday granted a five-day interim bail to Alt News fact-checker and co-founder Mohammed Zubair in a FIR lodged at Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh on charges of hurting religious sentiments but he will remain in jail in a case filed in Delhi.
Zubair is judicial custody in Delhi, and so will remain in jail despite winning bail in Sitapur.
A two-judge vacation Bench headed by Justice Indira Banerjee and also comprising Justice J K Maheshwari granted bail to Zubair.
“He (Zubair) shall not leave the jurisdiction of Sitapur magistrate’s court and not to post any fresh tweets further till this court hears it again on the issue related to the case,” the court said.
The court also told Zubair not to tamper with any electronic evidence in Bengaluru or anywhere else.
Colin Gonsalves, a senior lawyer for Mohammed Zubair, told the Supreme Court: “There is nothing against me. I am speaking only against hate speeches. I am not against any religion, I am innocent.”
“You see my tweet. I admit it. What is the need of taking me to Bengaluru and other places. There is no need for all this things to do.”
Gonsalves read out the tweet to argue it wasn’t about religion. “See what the country has come to,” he said.
“My life is in danger. Many are advising the police to torture me. I may be killed,” Gonsalves referred to some threat statements. “Rs 1 lakh reward has been announced. These are the people who should be in jail,” Colin argued.
The Uttar Pradesh government lawyer argued that there was no danger to Zubair.
“You can’t play with the system. He is deliberately suppressed many facts. It is unacceptable,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said. “The petitioner had allegedly received foreign funds also.”
