Fact-checker Zubair gets interim bail in all UP cases

Alt-News co-founder and fact checker Mohammad Zubair has been granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in all cases of UP. The Supreme Court has transferred all the FIRs against Zubair to the Delhi Police. At the same time, the SIT of UP formed against Zubair has also been dissolved. According to the order of the court, Zubair will be protected even if a new FIR is registered in the same case. If they want, they can file a petition in the Delhi High Court and demand cancellation of the FIR. The court has granted him bail in all the six FIRs on a surety of Rs 20,000.

The Supreme Court said that a personal bail bond of 20 thousand should be given to the CMM of Patiala House Court. Zubair will be released soon after that. He should be released from Tihar Jail by 6 o’clock today.

The court has said that now all cases against Zubair will be investigated by Delhi Police and the matter will remain under the jurisdiction of Delhi High Court. However, the Supreme Court has refused to quash 6 FIRs. For this the accused has been asked to appeal to the Delhi High Court. The court said that “there is no justification to keep him in jail continuously, give him immediate bail.” The court said that he should not be arrested in any new FIR.

Demand to stop tweeting rejected

SC also rejected UP government’s demand to restrain Zubair from tweeting and said “How can we say that? It is like asking a lawyer not to argue. Not asking a person to speak.” Whatever he does, he will be responsible in law. But we can’t ask a journalist not to write.”

What did the UP government say in the hearing?

Let us inform that today the UP government had given tough arguments against Zubair’s petition in the top court. The government in its argument said that “the accused are not journalists. They call themselves fact checkers. Their tweets are spreading poison. They get paid for these tweets. They get more money for malicious tweets. UP Police Instead of informing, he takes advantage of videos and speeches that can create communal divide.”

The government also said that Zubair gets Rs 12 lakh per month and that “Zubair himself has admitted that he got Rs 2 crore for the tweet.”