New Delhi: The SC on Wednesday granted interim bail to Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in six cases filed against him for alleged hate speech across Uttar Pradesh. The UP police were ordered to release Zubair by 6 pm.
The apex court observed that the “petitioner has been subjected to a comprehensive investigation by the Delhi Police” and there is “no reason for his deprivation of personal liberty to sustain”.
A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and AS Bopanna hearing the plea said that it didn’t find any reason for his deprivation of personal liberty to sustain and ordered a bail on each of the FIRs in UP.
The top court also said all FIRs filed against Zubair (so far) must be clubbed and transferred from those in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi. This will also apply to cases in other states and to future FIRs.
Of the six cases in UP, two have been registered in Hathras, while one each is in Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur districts.