Millennium Post (Kolkata)

The anonymous Twitter handle that flagged Zubair’s 2018 tweet deleted: Police sources

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NEW DELHI: The anonymous Twitter handle, a complaint from which led to Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair's arrest, does not exist on the microblogg­ing website anymore.

Sources in the Delhi Police said the Twitter handle that had raised the issue of Zubair's tweet has been deleted.

"We are trying to identify and trace the user of the Twitter account to ascertain the reason behind him or her deleting the account. However, we suspect that the person must be scared after the matter came to limelight," a source said.

The number of followers of the Twitter handle, which had flagged a 2018 tweet by Zubair against a Hindu deity, went past 1,200 in a night.

"The Twitter handle namely Hanuman Bhakt @balajikija­iiin had shared a tweet against another Twitter handle in the name of Mohammed Zubair@ zoo_bear, in which it has been tweeted by Zubair that 'Before 2014: Honeymoon Hotel. After 2014: Hanuman Hotel' and has shown a picture of a signboard of a hotel named "Honeymoon Hotel" changed to "Hanuman Hotel," the FIR read.

According to the first informatio­n report, @balajikija­iiin tweeted: "Linking our God Hanuman ji with Honey Moon is direct insult of Hindus because he is brahmchari. Kindly take action against this guy."

A Delhi court on Tuesday extended Zubair's custodial interrogat­ion by four days.

The co-founder of the factchecki­ng website was arrested by the Delhi Police on Monday for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through one of his tweets posted in 2018.

On June 20, a case against Zubair was registered under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, language etc.) and 295A (deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), KPS Malhotra, Deputy Commission­er of Police (Intelligen­ce Fusion and Strategic Operations), had said.

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