Zubair sent to 14-day judicial custody
A Delhi court on Saturday dismissed the bail plea of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair and sent him to 14-day judicial custody, citing the nature and gravity of the offences against the accused and observing that the matter is at the initial stage of investigation.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria pronounced the judgement after the open court reconvened late in the evening.
The judge had reserved the order earlier in the day after the hearing in the case in which the Delhi police said Zubair should be sent to 14-day judicial custody on the expiry of his five-day police remand on Saturday.
“Since the matter is at the initial stage of investigation and overall facts and circumstances of the case and nature and gravity of the offences alleged against the accused, no ground for grant of bail is made out. Bail application of accused is accordingly dismissed. Accordingly, accused is remanded to judicial custody for 14 days,” the judge ordered.
Zubair was arrested over a 2018 tweet for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. He was produced before the court after four days police custody that ended on Saturday.Delhi Police had requested for judicial custody of Zubair. His counsel requested grant of bail as the investigation was over.
Government counsel opposed the bail application and submitted that donations have come from Pakistan and Syria and Zubair is the director of Pravda Media and money was also received from Singapore, the UAE and Riyadh. The prosecution submitted that the transactions needed to be probed as there might be Income Tax violations.
Defence counsel opposed saying that the money which is being alleged to be received in violation of the FCRA has not gone into Zubair’s account. All money had gone into the account of Pravda Media and it is not a crime to be the director of the firm. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Snigdha Sarvaria after hearing the arguments dismissed the bail application and ordered 14 days judicial custody for Zubair.