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UP govt forms SIT to probe six cases against Zubair
The team will probe all six cases registered against the journalist in Hathras, Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur
LUCKNOW The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday formed a special investigation team (SIT) to look into six cases registered against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in various districts of the state, officials said.
Zubair is lodged in Tihar jail after Delhi Police arrested him on June 27 in connection with an FIR against him for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through a tweet posted in 2018.
The SIT has been asked to speedily probe and submit a charge sheet in court, said Prashant Kumar, additional director general of police, law and order. The team will probe all six cases registered against the journalist in Hathras, Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur. Two cases were registered in Hathras, while one each was lodged in Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur, he said.
The SIT is led by Preetinder Singh, inspector general of police, prisons, and has Amit Verma, deputy inspector general of police as a member.
One of the Hathras FIRs was registered on June 10 under sections 147 (trying to cause riot), 149 (causing unlawful assembly with common intention), 153A (promoting enmity between religious groups), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 7 of Criminal Law Amendment Act, a police officer said, seeking anonymity.
The second FIR was registered on July 4 under sections 153A, 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 298 (intent to wound the religious feelings) of the IPC and Section 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the IT Act at City Kotwali, Hathras, the same officer added
The third FIR was registered on June 15 last year under IPC sections 153 (provocation to riot), 153A, 295A, 505 (statements causing public mischief), 120B and 34 (acts by several persons in furtherance of common intention) at Loni Border police station of Ghaziabad, the officer said. The fourth FIR was registered on July 24 last year.
Two other cases were registered against Zubair at Khairabad police station of Sitapur (on July 1, 2022) and at Mohammadi police station of Lakhimpur Kheri on September 18 last year. While he has received interim bail in the Sitapur case, he was remanded to 14 days judicial custody by a Lakhimpur court, which will hear his bail application on Wednesday.
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