The Allahabad High Court on Thursday (January 16), extended the stay on the arrest of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair until January 27 in connection with an FIR lodged against him over an X post (formerly Twitter) about controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand.
The bench, comprising Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Yogendra Kumar Srivastava, granted the extension to allow the State Government to verify the averments and documents submitted alongside a rejoinder filed by Zubair’s counsel.
Earlier, on January 6, the court had allowed Zubair 10 days to file a rejoinder in response to the State Government’s counter.
The FIR was filed by the Ghaziabad Police in October 2024, accusing Zubair of promoting enmity between religious groups. The complaint was lodged by Udita Tyagi, general secretary of the Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Trust, who alleged that Zubair had shared edited and outdated clips of Narsinghanand to provoke hostility against him.
The case stems from a thread of videos Zubair posted on X on October 3, 2024, where he highlighted a video showing Narsinghanand, the priest of Dasna Devi Temple, making inflammatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad.
In the post, Zubair tagged the Uttar Pradesh Police, questioning what action had been taken against the priest and describing the remarks as derogatory.
Tyagi claimed that Zubair’s posts, which showcased Narsinghanand’s speech, were intentionally designed to incite radical sentiments against the priest.
Based on this, Zubair was charged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those related to promoting enmity between groups on religious grounds, fabricating false evidence, outraging religious feelings deliberately and maliciously, defamation, and criminal intimidation.
Zubair has challenged the FIR in the High Court, contending that his post was aimed at drawing attention to Narsinghanand’s actions and urging lawful action. He argued that his intent was not to promote disharmony or incite violence but to exercise his right to free speech, which is protected under the Constitution.
The Uttar Pradesh Government, however, argued that Zubair’s posts contained incomplete and potentially misleading information that posed a threat to India’s sovereignty and integrity.
he government also claimed that his posts defamed Narsinghanand and stirred religious discord.
Zubair countered these allegations by stating that several news outlets and social media accounts had also reported on Narsinghanand’s remarks. He maintained that his posts did not deviate from widely discussed narratives and were merely an attempt to seek accountability for inflammatory rhetoric.
In an earlier hearing on December 20, 2024, the High Court granted Zubair temporary relief, noting that he was not a “dreaded criminal,” and stayed his arrest until January 6, 2025.
With the extension granted on January 16, the court has now directed the State Government to verify the documents presented by Zubair’s counsel.
The next hearing is scheduled for January 27.
The bench, comprising Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Yogendra Kumar Srivastava, granted the extension to allow the State Government to verify the averments and documents submitted alongside a rejoinder filed by Zubair’s counsel.
Earlier, on January 6, the court had allowed Zubair 10 days to file a rejoinder in response to the State Government’s counter.
The FIR was filed by the Ghaziabad Police in October 2024, accusing Zubair of promoting enmity between religious groups. The complaint was lodged by Udita Tyagi, general secretary of the Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Trust, who alleged that Zubair had shared edited and outdated clips of Narsinghanand to provoke hostility against him.
The case stems from a thread of videos Zubair posted on X on October 3, 2024, where he highlighted a video showing Narsinghanand, the priest of Dasna Devi Temple, making inflammatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad.
In the post, Zubair tagged the Uttar Pradesh Police, questioning what action had been taken against the priest and describing the remarks as derogatory.
Tyagi claimed that Zubair’s posts, which showcased Narsinghanand’s speech, were intentionally designed to incite radical sentiments against the priest.
Based on this, Zubair was charged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those related to promoting enmity between groups on religious grounds, fabricating false evidence, outraging religious feelings deliberately and maliciously, defamation, and criminal intimidation.
Zubair has challenged the FIR in the High Court, contending that his post was aimed at drawing attention to Narsinghanand’s actions and urging lawful action. He argued that his intent was not to promote disharmony or incite violence but to exercise his right to free speech, which is protected under the Constitution.
The Uttar Pradesh Government, however, argued that Zubair’s posts contained incomplete and potentially misleading information that posed a threat to India’s sovereignty and integrity.
he government also claimed that his posts defamed Narsinghanand and stirred religious discord.
Zubair countered these allegations by stating that several news outlets and social media accounts had also reported on Narsinghanand’s remarks. He maintained that his posts did not deviate from widely discussed narratives and were merely an attempt to seek accountability for inflammatory rhetoric.
In an earlier hearing on December 20, 2024, the High Court granted Zubair temporary relief, noting that he was not a “dreaded criminal,” and stayed his arrest until January 6, 2025.
With the extension granted on January 16, the court has now directed the State Government to verify the documents presented by Zubair’s counsel.
The next hearing is scheduled for January 27.
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