The Alt News co-founder was granted bail on the condition that he will not post any fresh tweets on the issue related to the case and not leave jurisdiction of the Sitapur Magistrate’s court, reports ANI.
No criminal case can be made out against Zubair, according to Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves, who is representing Zubair. “A tweet serves as the case’s starting point. We are asking for the dismissal of the case, therefore any concerns about police or court custody are now irrelevant. The procedures must be stopped since there is no evidence to support them, he told the supreme court.
The Alt News co-founder was granted bail on the condition that he will not post any fresh tweets on the issue related to the case and not leave jurisdiction of the Sitapur Magistrate’s court, reports ANI.
“What has this country has come to. The person who exposes it is in jail and the person continuing is on bail. Hate mongers made remarks on Constitution, judges. Zubair has exposed this kind of venomous language against judges, Constitution…and he’s in jail for it,” Gonsalves told the apex court.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta accused the journalist of “suppressing facts” by failing to specify in his appeal that the Situapur court had rejected his bail request the day before. Gonsalves informed the top court that the petition stated that the Sitapur police wanted to place the journalist in their custody.
According to SG Mehta, who appeared on behalf of the UP police, the investigation was not focused on the disputed tweet but rather on determining whether Zubair was “part of syndicate to put out such tweets to destabilise the society,” according to Bar & Bench. Mehta described Zubair as a “habitual offender” and claimed that there was a “money angle” at work.
The Delhi High Court denied Zubair temporary relief and granted remand, Mehta said, adding that it was being investigated whether donations from nations inimical to India had been received by them.
In a case where he was detained by the Uttar Pradesh police for referring to some Hindu religious leaders as “hate mongers,” Zubair went to the Supreme Court on Thursday to request bail. Gonsalves cited the petition before a panel of Justices Indira Banerjee and J. K. Maheshwari and asserted that Zubair was in danger of losing his life.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
