Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair walks out of jail after 24 days

Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair has walked out of jail after 24 days. This comes after the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Zubair and ordered his immediate release in six cases registered against him for 'objectionable tweets'.

"We find no reason and justification. We direct the petitioner be released on bail immediately under article 32 in all cases," the top court said.

Zubair was arrested on June 27 by Delhi Police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through a tweet he posted in 2018. A case was registered against him under sections 153A (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the IPC.

Delhi Police then invoked sections 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and section 35 of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) for allegedly receiving foreign donations.

READ | Delhi court grants bail to Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in 2018 tweet case

Later, a Delhi court granted him bail but he remained in custody in other cases.

In a big relief to Zubair, the top court then directed that all FIRs against Zubair should be transferred to the Delhi Police Special Cell, which is probing the case related to the 2018 objectionable tweet.

"The exercise of power of arrest should be used sparingly. No point of keeping the petitioner in custody before different courts where the tweets in question are the same," the top court said in its order.

Zubair is accused in a total of seven FIRs, of which six are lodged in UP and one in Delhi. He has been in custody in four cases against him in Delhi, Sitapur, Hathras and Lakhimpur Kheri.

The court has directed Zubair to "ensure that tweet or retweet or any material on social media is not even touching the boundaries of an offence punishable under sections 153A and 295A of the IPC".

Even though the Uttar Pradesh government said the cases against Zubair is not just about one tweet, the SC bench disbanded a Special Investigation Team formed by the state government to investigate the FIRs against Zubair.

The court also rejected the UP government's plea to stop Zubair from tweeting and said, "How can we say that? It's like asking a lawyer not to argue. A person not to speak. Whatever he does, he will be responsible, but we can't ask a journalist not to write.”