The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Tweet against Zubair doesn't ‘ cause alarm to public’, no case registered: Delhi Police
THE DELHI Police told the Delhi High Court that it has not registered any case against a man accused of allegedly posting “offensive tweets” against Alt News co- founder Mohammed Zubair in his plea seeking quashing of an FIR against him.
The Delhi Police mentioned in its status report that it had examined the accused, Jagdish Singh, to inquire about his intention and purpose of commenting “Once a jihadi is always jihadi” on Zubair's tweet. Upon recording Singh's statement, "nothing incriminating" came up for further proceeding in the matter, states the report.
“Thus, the captioned tweet by
Mr Jagdish Singh and his examination in this regard has revealed that the captioned tweet on 18.04.2020 does not cause fear or alarm to the public or any section of the public, whereby, any person may be induced to commit an offence against any state or against public tranquility. That in view of above, no case has been registered in relation to the captioned tweet against Mr Jagdish Singh,” states the report.
In 2020, police had booked
Zubair under the POCSO Act, and Information Technology Act— based on a complaint filed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights ( NCPCR) — for allegedly “threatening and torturing a girl child through Twitter ( now known as X)”. Zubair moved the HC, seeking quashing of the FIR, and action against NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo, the complainant, and Singh, an X user, over his “offensive tweets” — whom Zubair had also responded to on the platform.
In January 2023, police informed the court that they had not found Zubair committing any criminal act upon the completion of the investigation, and so, his name was not included in their chargesheet.
NCPCR in its affidavit, had however, opposed the police's stand that it “indicates the casual attitude of police” in this case.
In May 2023, Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani asked the Delhi Police to state its action taken against Singh in “relation to the evidently offensive tweets” made by him against Zubair, which the HC said “may amount to hate speech”. In response to the court's query, police then said that it was conscious of the Supreme Court's directions to all the states and union territories to register cases on their own against those making hate speeches. Police then sought time to file a status report detailing steps taken by them against the person in question.
The matter is next listed on August 5.