SC grants bail to Mohammed Zubair in all FIRs lodged in UP

New Delhi, July 20: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in all cases filed against him.

"No justification to keep him in continued custody and subject him to endless rounds of custody," the Supreme Court said.

The top court also rejected the UP government's plea to stop him from tweeting.

"It's like asking a lawyer not to argue... A person not to speak. Whatever he does, he will be responsible in law but we can't ask a journalist not to write,"the SC said.

A consolidated investigation is required, said the SC as it clubbed all the FIRs against Zubair and transferred the cases from UP to Delhi.

A special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the UP government is rendered redundant and disbanded, the top court ordered.

Zubair was arrested on June 27 by Delhi Police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through one of his tweets. Earlier in June, a case against him was registered under sections 153A and 295A of IPC, according to KPS Malhotra, Deputy Commissioner of Police of Cyber Cell.

A magisterial court had on July 2 dismissed Zubair's bail plea and sent him to 14-day judicial custody (JC) in the case, citing the nature and gravity of the offences against the accused and observing that the matter was at an initial stage of investigation. The court had sent him to JC after his five day custodial interrogation.

The case in Delhi is one of the many registered against Zubair. Cases are also filed against him in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheri, and Hathras.

In the Sitapur case, the Supreme Court on last Tuesday extended Zubair's interim bail till further orders. However, the bail would have no bearing on other casess. The court further clarified that it was not staying the investigation.