Mohammed Zubair
Delhi Police arrest AltNews journalist Mohammed Zubair for allegedly hurting religious sentiments
New Delhi/IBNS: The Delhi Police Monday arrested journalist Mohammed Zubair, one of the founders of fact-checking website AltNews, on charges of hurting religious sentiments and promoting enmity.
In a tweet, AltNews co-founder Pratik Sinha said Mohammed Zubair was called to Delhi for questioning in a different case but arrested in this one.
Mandatory notice was not given, he alleged.
"No FIR copy is being given to us despite repeated requests," his post read.
Please note. pic.twitter.com/gMmassggbx
— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) June 27, 2022
Police, however, said Zubair had joined the probe in a case registered at the Special Cell police station and was arrested "after having sufficient evidence on record".
He is still being quizzed and police will present him before a magistrate on Tuesday to seek further custody, said reports.
Slamming the arrest, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor termed it an "assault on truth", and demanded his release.
"India’s few fact-checking services, especially @AltNews, perform a vital service in our post-truth political environment, rife with disinformation. They debunk falsehoods whoever perpetrates them. To arrest @zoo_bear is an assault on truth. He should be released immediately," he wrote.
India’s few fact-checking services, especially @AltNews, perform a vital service in our post-truth political environment, rife with disinformation. They debunk falsehoods whoever perpetrates them. To arrest @zoo_bear is an assault on truth. He should be released immediately.
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 27, 2022
Founded in 2017 as a non-profit, AltNews is among the world's most prominent fact-checking outlets, whose founders have been facing online trolling and police cases by right-wing groups for years.
Mohammed Zubair's name was also lodged in an FIR filed a month ago in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district with similar charges.
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