SC directs UP police not to take precipitative action against Mohammad Zubair

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh police not to take any precipitative action against factchecking website Alt News cofounder Mohammad Zubair in any of the FIRs filed in the state till July 20A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on the plea of Zubair seeking interim bail quashing of all FIRs registered against him in Uttar Pradesh and also challenging the constitution of SITThe apex court posted the matter for hearing next on July 20The top court stayed precipitative action against Zubair in connection with five FIRs saying it appears that he is being taken into custody in other FIR if he gets bail in one and that the content of the FIRs appeared similarAlso Read Alt News cofounder Mohammed Zubair moves SC for bail in UP caseContents of all FIRs seem to be similar What seems to be happening is as he gets bail in one case he is remanded in another This vicious cycle is continuing said Justice ChandrachudThe apex court said since the petition is not on board today we direct the Registry to list the matter on July 20In the meantime we direct that no precipitative action whatsoever be taken against the petitioner in five FIRs without the leave of the CourtDuring the hearing advocate Vrinda Grover appearing for Zubair told the apex court that he has been taken to Hathras and sought to stay the proceedings before the Hatras court She said there is a threat to Zubairs lifeThere are six FIRs against Zubair in Uttar Pradesh and as soon as Sitapur court protection was granted the Lakhimpur Kheri court production warrant was issued she saidGrover contended that there is a misuse of the process of law There have been cash rewards announced for registering FIR against Zubair or to get him arrested All these are on social media and Uttar Pradesh police has not taken any action in this she addedIn the morning Grover mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and sought an urgent hearing of Zubairs plea seeking to quash all six FIRs registered against him in Uttar Pradesh and also challenging the constitution of SITCJI then asked Grover to mention the matter before a bench of Justice DY Chandrachud bench which had passed the order earlier in Zubair caseZubair has approached the apex court challenging the FIRs registered at six places in Uttar Pradesh Sitapur Lakhimpur Kheri Muzaffarnagar Ghaziabad and Hathras two FIRsIn the plea Zubair said his personal liberty has been completely jeopardized without following due procedure established by law and requested the court either to quash the six FIRs in UP or club all of them with the FIR at Delhi where he was first arrested to avoid multiplicity of proceedings and prolonged detentionThe plea also challenged the constitution of the twomember Special Investigation Team SIT by the Uttar Pradesh governmentUttar Pradesh government had this week formed the SIT to investigate the six cases registered against Zubair in various districts of the state The SIT comprises Inspector General Preetinder Singh currently posted at the Department of Prisons Administration and Reform and Deputy Inspector General of police Amit VermaZubair has also sought interim bail in all FIRsOn July 12 the Supreme Court had extended till September 7 the five days interim bail granted to Zubair in the case registered against him by Uttar Pradesh Police in Sitapur The apex court had clarified that its interim bail order is with respect to the FIR lodged in Sitapur only and has nothing to do with a separate case registered against him in DelhiZubair had challenged the Allahabad High Court order refusing to quash an FIR registered against him by Uttar Pradesh police in Sitapur for a tweet in which he allegedly called three Hindu seers hate mongersSitapur court had sent him to judicial custody and declined his bail pleaHathras court on Saturday sent Zubair to 14day judicial custody after two cases were registered against him in the district on July 4 The case was registered by Deepak Sharma for Zubairs remarks on Hindu Gods and Goddesses in a tweet in 2018Last week Lakhimpur court had sent Zubair to 14day judicial custodyDelhi court had also sent him to judicial custody in the case registered against him The Delhi police had arrested him on June 27 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through one of his tweetsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever