New Delhi: In great relief, Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair on Wednesday got interim bail in all cases registered against him in Uttar Pradesh. The interim bail was granted by Supreme Court and the top court ordered that he be released from custody immediately.
The Supreme Court in its order said it is of view that he should be released on interim bail on all FIRs. “It’s a set principle of law that the power of arrests must be pursued sparingly. In the present case no justification to keep him in continued detention and subject him to an endless round of proceedings in various courts,” the SC observed.
The top court also ordered that all FIRs against Zubair must be transferred to the Delhi Police Special Cell, which is probing a separate case related to an allegedly objectionable tweet he had posted in 2018 against a Hindu deity.
“We find no reason and justification. We direct the petitioner be released on bail immediately under article 32 in all cases,” the top court bench said.
In the order, the Supreme Court said the transfer of the FIRs shall apply to all existing FIRs and to all future FIRs that may be registered on the issue.
The top court also said Mohammed Zubair shall be released on bail subject to furnishing of a bail bond of Rs 20,000 and added that Zubair can move Delhi High Court for quashing of all or any of the FIRs registered against him.
On the other hand, the Uttar Pradesh government urged the apex court to stop Zubair from putting out tweets.
It should be noted that Mohammed Zubair was arrested on June 27 by Delhi Police over a tweet that belonged to 2008. In this regard, over 7 more FIRs were filed against him in Uttar Pradesh.
Mohammed Zubair is the co-founder of a fact-check website Alt News and he was arrested over a four-year-old tweet sharing a screenshot from a popular Hindi movie.
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