Supreme Court extends interim bail of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in UP case 

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday prolonged until additional orders the interim bail of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in a case lodged in opposition to him in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh for allegedly outraging spiritual sentiments.

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna was informed by Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, showing for the state authorities, that it desires to file a counter affidavit to Zubair’s plea in search of quashing of the FIR lodged within the case.

Raju stated that since Zubair has already been granted bail within the matter, there shouldn’t be any objection from his aspect to grant time to file the affidavit.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, showing for Zubair, stated he has already been granted interim bail by the holiday bench of this courtroom and they’d additionally wish to file their reply to the counter affidavit to be filed by the state authorities.

The bench then listed the plea for a closing listening to on September 7 and requested the Uttar Pradesh authorities to file its response in 4 weeks. It stated that rejoinder, if any must be filed by Zubair’s aspect, then it must be filed in two weeks thereafter.

On July 8, a trip bench of the highest courtroom had granted five-day interim bail to Zubair within the case. Zubair is in judicial custody as per the order of a Delhi courtroom in one other case.

Earlier, the highest courtroom had barred Zubair from posting something on Twitter and stated he shall not tamper with any proof, digital or in any other case.

It had additionally clarified that its interim bail order is with respect to the First Information Report(FIR) lodged in Sitapur and has nothing to do with a separate case registered in opposition to the journalist in Delhi.

The FIR was lodged in opposition to Zubair in Uttar Pradesh below Indian Penal Code part 295A (deliberate and malicious act meant to outrage spiritual emotions) and part 67 of the IT Act right here on a criticism by Hindu Sher Sena Sitapur district president Bhagwan Sharan on June 1.

Zubair was arrested by the Delhi Police on June 27 for allegedly hurting spiritual sentiments by considered one of his tweets.

Seeking bail from the highest courtroom, Zubair, in his plea, has submitted that there’s a “new” police technique afoot in hate speech circumstances and communal crimes the place FIRs are registered in opposition to criminals in addition to these monitoring and protesting such crimes.

He has alleged the technique is to “stifle” the liberty of speech of secular individuals in society who get up in opposition to communal parts.