On Monday night (June 27), the Delhi police brought Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair to the IFSO Delhi Police Special Cell in Dwarka after he was sent to one day in police remand.
Dwarka, Delhi | Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair who has been sent to 1-day police remand brought to IFSO Special Cell, Delhi Police
— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2022
He has been arrested over allegations of hurting the religious sentiments of a community pic.twitter.com/Zi0ZHWdjdD
How Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair was arrested by Delhi Police
On Monday (June 27), Mohammed Zubair was arrested for hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. He was booked under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 153 (provocation to cause riot) and 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings).
A case was lodged against him on the basis of a complaint by a Twitter user (@balajikijaiin). While tagging the Delhi police, the user had pointed out how Zubair was deliberately linking Honeymoon with brahmachari Lord Hanuman from an old movie clip.
In his objectionable tweet, Zubair claimed that a hotel named ‘Honeymoon’ was changed to ‘Hanuman’ in 2014 to keep up with Indian values (sanskaar).
While speaking to ANI, the Delhi police informed, “The said post of Mohd. Zubair containing picture & words against a particular religious community are highly provocative & done deliberately which are more than sufficient to incite hatred among people which can be detrimental for maintenance of public tranquillity.”
On the basis of the said post above case has been registered: Delhi police senior officials
— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2022
Besides, Opindia had earlier reported how Zubair had unleashed his troll army on ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma by sharing partial clip of hers with comments on Prophet Muhammad. Subsequently, Islamists got triggered and calls for her beheading were made. Violence erupted in India for days, especially after Jumma Namaz, by Islamist mob and even terror organisations like Al Qaeda issued terror attack threats on India.
The Delhi police found Zubair to be non-cooperative and evasive during interrogation, following which they sought his custody.
He was evasive on the questions and neither provided the necessary technical equipment for the purpose of the investigation nor cooperated in the investigation: Delhi Police senior officials
— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2022
“During investigation, conduct of Mohd Zubair was found questionable, which warranted his custodial interrogation to unravel conspiracy in this matter. Accordingly, he has been arrested & is being produced before court for seeking police custody remand,” the cops stated.
Delhi Police Special Cell has asked for a 4-day remand before the duty magistrate.
— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2022
Mohammed Zubair sent to 1-day police remand
As such, the police sought 4-day remand before the Magistrate. However, Alt News co-founder Pratik Sinha had claimed that the police sought 7-day remand.
Although the counsel for Zubair tried to secure a bail, it was rejected on grounds of having no merit.
Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair has been sent to 1-day police remand for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of a particular community
— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2022
Mohammed Zubair was taken to Burari from Dwarka. Pratik Sinha was spotted alongside him. “The court has allowed accused Mohammed Zubair’s counsel’s plea to meet him once a day for half an hour in police custody for providing legal assistance,” informed the Delhi police.
#UPDATE | The court has allowed accused Mohammed Zubair’s counsel’s plea to meet him once a day for half an hour in police custody for providing legal assistance: Delhi Police officials
— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2022
Earlier, netizens on Twitter had dredged up old tweets of Zubair after a social media user highlighted how the ‘fact-checker,’ who instigated the blasphemy threats against Nupur Sharma, had a history of making derogatory posts over Hinduism and Hindu Gods.
After being exposed for his posts which hurt religious sentiments of Hindus, Zubair quickly pulled down his Facebook account, perhaps to scrub it clean of its controversial content. However, social media users pointed out how Zubair had been a serial offender, and his offences were not restricted to Facebook alone but extend well into the Twitter realm.
Social media users dug up old tweets from the AltNews co-founder, where he made uncharitable comments on Hindu beliefs and made Hindu Gods the object of his ridicule, and had demanded his arrest.
