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'Fringe Sharma chilling at home': Mahua Moitra on Zubair's 4-day custody
Mahua Moitra is one of the opposition leaders who have come out in support of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair. After Zubair's custory was extended by 4 more days, Mahua Moitra said these 4 days are enough for the police to 'cook up whatever else they need to'.
As a Delhi court on Tuesday extended Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair's custody by four days, Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra said these four days are enough for the Delhi Police "to cook up whatever else they need to". "Meanwhile, Fringe Sharma chilling at home with family waiting to be safely rehabilitated by BJP at opportune moment," the Trinamool leader tweeted taking a dig at former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Zubair who exposed Nupur Sharma's objectionable comments on the Prophet was arrested on Monday in a 2018 case of an 'objectionable tweet' against a Hindu deity. Also Read | Mohammed Zubair arrest: Donations to Alt News also being probed, say police
Opposition leaders have condemned Zubair's arrest and the following custody. Mahua Moitra also posted the photo which put Zubair in trouble and said it was a photo from a Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie dating back to 1983.
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"Zubair is a fact-checker. Vital part of democracy is weeding out disinformation. Not a politician. Not a preacher. Why then are only opposition leaders coming out in support?" Mahua Moitra said earlier adding that Delhi Police bent over backwards to please "sahibs and thumb nose at law".
Zubair's arrest has triggered outrage as calls for the immediate release of the journalist grow. The Delhi Police told the court that Zubair used religious tweets in an effort to get famous. The police also told the court that Zubair has been non-cooperative and his mobile phone/laptop used for posting that particular tweet is yet to be recovered.
“Considering that mobile phone/laptop of accused used by him for posting the tweet in question is to be recovered at the instance of accused Mohammed Zubair from his Bangalore residence and that accused has remained non-cooperative and the disclosure statement on record, four days PC (police custody) remand of accused is granted since accused is to be taken to Bangalore,” the judge said in a 3-page order.
A four-member police team will be sent to Zubair's house in Bengaluru on Wednesday to recover evidence, including the mobile phone or laptop used by him for posting the tweet in question. During the investigation, when asked about his phone through which he posted the alleged tweet in 2018, he told police that he had lost it.
Delhi Police said they are investigating donations made to the website as well. “We’ll also see if the donations are not being used to convert black money into white,” an officer said.
