After he moved the Supreme Court for cancellation of six FIRs in Uttar Pradesh, Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair was told by Chief Justice of India, NV Ramana, on Monday to seek a date with the bench which is already hearing a linked case.
A similar case is pending before the bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud.
Earlier this month, the top court had given a temporary relief to Zubair by giving him an interim bail in Sitapur case. The bail “shall be conditional, and the petitioner shall not make any tweets, and he will not leave Delhi; other conditions of the bail will be fixed by the Sitapur district court (in UP),” the court had said at the time.
Thirty-three-year old Mohd Zubair moved the top court over UP FIRS as he was given bail by a Delhi court in a 2018 tweet case. He was arrested last month by the Delhi Police over the tweet for allegedly trying to hurt religious sentiments.
Six separate cases have been filed against him in Uttar Pradesh – 2 in Hathras, and one each in Ghaziabad, Muzzafarnagar, Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur.
In Lakhimpur Kheri, a court rejected his bail application on Saturday. He was summoned over a case registered against him in September 18, 2021, after a complaint was filed by a journalist of a Sudarshan News channel for a fact-check tweet. The complainant had reportedly accused Zubair of misleading people “through his tweet about his channel”. He was sent to judicial custody for 14 days in the case.
The Hathras Police too, last week, moved a plea in the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, seeking Zubair’s remand.
Meanwhile, the Delhi court had told him to appear for probe when asked and not leave India without permission. “Considering the facts and circumstances of the case and the fact the accused is not required for any custodial interrogation, I am inclined to allow the present bail moved on behalf of application applicant/accused Mohammed Zubair. The applicant is admitted to bail,” the court had said on Friday.