Quashing of UP FIR against Zubair: Supreme Court agrees to list matter tomorrow

The Supreme Court has agreed to list a hearing tomorrow on Mohammed Zubair challenging a high court order that refused to quash an FIR against him.

The Alt News cofounder's lawyer, Colin Gonsalves, had mentioned the matter before a vacation bench for urgent listing.

According to LiveLaw, Gonsalves said, "His job is to fact-check news and he was doing the role of identifying hate speeches. A look at the FIR shows there is no crime. We went to Allahabad High Court but no relief was granted. Bail is sought on emergency. There are death threats on the internet...I am really worried."

Gonsalves asked that the matter be listed for today, but the bench said it would be listed tomorrow "subject to clearance" by the Chief Justice of India.

The FIR in question was filed by the UP police against Zubair in early June after he called Yati Narasinghanand, Mahant Bajrang Muni and Anand Swaroop “hatemongers” in a Twitter post. All three are among 10 people booked in connection with hate speeches that took place at a Dharam Sansad held in Haridwar in December last year.

The FIR, which includes charges of insulting religious beliefs and publishing obscene material in electronic form, was filed based on a complaint by a member of the Rashtriya Hindu Sher Sena.

Zubair challenged the FIR in the Allahabad High Court, but the court dismissed his petition saying the investigation in the case hadn't taken place yet.

Meanwhile, Zubair was arrested on June 27 on the basis of a tweet he posted four years ago. He is presently in judicial custody.