On Saturday (June 2), advocate for ‘fact checker’ Mohammed Zubair threw his company AltNews under the bus in a bid to protect her client from allegations of foreign funding.
Zubair was arrested on June 27 for hurting religious sentiments and was represented before the Patiala House Court by advocate Vrinda Grover. Senior Public Prosecutor (SPP) Atul Srivastava appeared on behalf of the Delhi Police. The Delhi Police has now sought to add several other sections like criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and money laundering to the case.
During the hearing, SPP Srivastava informed that Mohammed Zubair violated the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act by receiving donations from people in foreign nations.
“As per our CDR analysis, he (Zubair) has accepted through Razor gateway, from Pakistan, Syria etc which all things require further investigation,” he emphasised.
SPP Atul Srivastava: If you accept something donation etc from a person of foreign country then it’s a contravention. As per out CDR analysis, he has accepted through Razor gateway, from Pakistan, Syria etc which all things require further investigation.
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) July 2, 2022
SSP Atul Srivastava further stated, “We have already found that donations have come from Pakistan, Syria etc. He is the Director of Pravda Media (parent company of AltNews).
Advocate Vrinda Grover, representing Mohammed Zubair, pointed out that it was not a crime to be the director of any company. However, in a bid to save him, she was quick to throw the company (AltNews) under the scanner.
SPP: We have already found that donations that has come from Pakistan, Syria etc.
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) July 2, 2022
He is Director of Pravda.
Grover: It’s not a crime to be director of a company. #MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice
She stated, “Your honour was misled when told that the accused has received it (foreign contributions). AltNews runs under a company under Section 8. They are saying I am a journalist, I cannot receive FCRA. This is to the company, not to me.”
Advocate Vrinda Grover also put out a categorical statement that foreign funds did not go the bank account of Zubair but to that of AltNews.
Grover: Sec. 153A and 295A ki kahani khatam ho gayi, ye unhe bhi pata Hain Hume bhi.
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) July 2, 2022
It hasn’t gone into my account. I am making a categorical statement. #MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice
Pratik Sinha and lack of FCRA clearance of AltNews
It must be pointed out that only organisations with FCRA licences can accept foreign contributions. According to AltNews’ founder Pratik Sinha, the alleged fact-checking company does not have an FCRA licence.
During a war-of-words with psephologist Pradeep Bhandari in May 2019, Sinha conceded that his organisation could not accept foreign contributions.
He had tweeted, “We don’t have FCRA, and accepting foreign contribution would be an offence, and the directors can be jailed for the same. The archived version of the tweet can be accessed here.
As of July 2, 2022, the donation page of AltNews makes it clear that it is not registered under the FCRA Act.
“We do not accept foreign remittance as we are not registered under the FCRA Act.” The archived version of the page can be accessed here.
However, advocate Vrinda Grover had accepted before the Patiala court on Saturday (July 2) that foreign contributions from Pakistan and Syria, as alleged by the senior public prosecutor, were received by AltNews and not Zubair.
In doing so, she has exposed the lies peddled by Pratik Sinha since 2019 about not accepting foreign remittances. This has put Mohammed Zubair, AltNews co-founder and director of Pravada Media, into deeper waters.
AltNews, which has a history of defending Islamists and peddling fake news, is now caught in its own web of lies and moving down the slippery slope of FCRA regulations.
