Fact-checking website Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair was sent to police custody for four more days by a Delhi court on Tuesday. Zubair was arrested on Monday by the Delhi Police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through one of his tweets.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria passed the order after hearing arguments from police as well as the accused. The police had sought extension of Zubair's custodial interrogation by five more days, saying he used controversial tweets to hurt the religious feelings in an effort to get fame.
“Considering that the mobile phone or laptop used by the accused for posting the tweet in question has to be recovered from his Bengaluru residence and that he remained non-cooperative, four days' police custody remand is granted since he has to be taken to Bengaluru,” the court said.
A case against Zubair was registered earlier this month under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, language etc.) and 295A (deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Police said Zubair was arrested in connection with one of his recent tweets that had a questionable image with a purpose to deliberately insult the god of a particular religion. They said the case was registered on the complaint of a Twitter user who accused the journalist of hurting religious sentiments.