Alt News Co-founder Md Zubair refuses to handover electronic devices to investigators; remanded 4-day police custody

New Delhi: A day after being arrested by the Delhi Police for his 'provocative' tweet in 2018, Alt News co-founder Mohamed Zubair refused to co-operate with the authorities in the investigation, sources said. He was sent to 4-day police custody today. Notably, fellow Alt News co-founder Pratik Sinha informed in a tweet yesterday that the journalist was arrested at around 6:45 pm on an unrelated FIR after being summoned by the Special Cell for investigation in a 2020 case.

Mohammed Zubair refused to hand over the electronic gadgets that he used to make post the offensive tweet back in 2018, because of which he was arrested yesterday. He challenged the Delhi Police team to recover the said device as the journalist claimed that he lost the mobile he used in 2018, India Today reported quoting sources.

Zubair was produced in Patiala House Court today. Delhi Police sought a 5-day further remand of the journalist claiming that other FIRs were also registered against him in different matters. The Court sent Mohammed Zubair to 4-day police custody.

Delhi Police's lawyer, while producing Zubair before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Patiala House Court noted that the journalist was arrested as he was not cooperating with the investigation.

"We have arrested him as he was not cooperating during the investigation. When he joined the probe, all apps were deleted from his phone," Delhi Police's lawyer said.

"Mohd Zubair's objectionable tweet led to a Twitter storm with hate speeches, detrimental to communal harmony. 2 things including technical gadget & intention was important. He was evasive on both, the phone was formatted. This formed grounds for arrest," KPS Malhotra, DCP IFSO said in connection with the case.

"If you endorse a view on social media, it becomes your view. Retweeting & saying I don't know, doesn't stand here. Responsibility is yours. Time does not matter, you only have to re-tweet & it becomes new. The police action was on basis of when the matter came to our cognizance," KPS Malhotra added.

He further denied reports of Zubair's arrest being 'politically motivated.' "If someone is booked in several cases it's our right to question him in all. Judiciary is involved, custody is given, bail is not granted, and there must be some substance to the case. Calling it politically motivated doesn't stand right. We'll ask for more remand," KPS Malhotra noted.

Zubair was sent to one-day police remand by a Delhi court yesterday. He was charged under sections 153 referring to wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot and 295A pertaining to deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs of the Indian Penal Code.