Delhi Police Get 4-Day Remand Of Alt News Co-Founder Mohammed Zubair

Alt News Co-Founder Mohammed Zubair was arrested in connection with one of his recent tweets that had a questionable image with the purpose of deliberately insulting the god of a particular religion.

Alt News Co-Founder Mohammed Zubair. (Image: PTI)

Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, who was arrested on Monday night for allegedly hurting religious sentiments and promoting enmity on Twitter, has been sent to 4-day Police remand. Zubair was produced before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate,Patiala House Court after expiry of his one-day custodial interrogation. 

Accornding to Delhi Police, Zubair was arrested in connection with one of his recent tweets that had a questionable image with the purpose of deliberately insulting the god of a particular religion.

The journalist's arrest stroked a massive controversy on Twitter with several Opposition parties, human right organisations and even the Editor's Guild condemning the move by Delhi Police. 

Editors Guild of India on Tuesday termed as "extremely disturbing" the arrest of AltNews co-founder and demanded his immediate release.

"Zubair has been arrested under sections 153 and 295 of the Indian Penal Code. This is extremely disturbing because Zubair and his website AltNews have done some exemplary work over the past few years in identifying fake news and countering disinformation campaigns, in a very objective and factual manner," the Guild said.

Even Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday lashed out at the BJP-led Centre over the arrests of Zubair.

Delhi Police officials have said that Zubair's "objectionable tweet of 2018 led to a Twitter storm with hate speeches, detrimental to communal harmony".

"In such cases, finding the gadget used to post such tweets and the intention behind posting such a tweet is important. During questioning, he has been evasive on both the fronts. We found out that his phone was formatted. His evasiveness formed the grounds for his arrest," news agency PTI quoted KPS Malhotra, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations) as saying.

Meanwhile, another Co-Founder of Alt News Pratik Sinha claimed that Delhi Police arrested Zubair without any prior notice which is mandatory under law for the sections under which he has been held.