Alt News co-founder Mohd Zubair denied bail, sent to 14 days judicial custody

The 33-year-old journalist has been booked for criminal conspiracy under Section 120 B. He is also accused of receiving foreign funds in clear violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

Published on: Jul 2, 2022, 19:06:34 IST

By HT News Desk | Reported by Richa Banka | Written by Aryan Prakash

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A Delhi court on Saturday denied bail to Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, who was arrested over a 2018 tweet on charges of allegedly hurting religious sentiments. The court sent the journalist to 14-day judicial custody.

The 33-year-old journalist has been booked for criminal conspiracy under Section 120 B. He is also accused of receiving foreign funds in clear violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

During the hearing in the court, Zubair's counsel Vrinda Grover questioned the credibility of the complaint against him. "Who is this Twitter handle (user) 'Hanuman Bhakt'? Does he want to create communal disharmony or strife in the country?" she asked.

Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair. (Twitter)

During the hearing, public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava told the court that Zubair received donations from Pakistan and Syria, and the journalist is the director of Pravda Media. The public prosecutor claimed that money was also received from Singapore, UAE and Saudi Arabia. He added that the transactions needed to be investigated as there might be income tax violations.

Zubair's lawyer argued that the money alleged to have been received in violation of FCRA didn't go into his account. All money had gone into the account of Pravda Media. It is not a crime to be the director of the firm, she said.

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HT News Desk
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