Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair refuses to hand over electronic devices to police: Sources

Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of the fact-checking website Alt News, has refused to hand over the electronic devices he used in 2018 when he reportedly tweeted an offensive tweet that landed him in jail, a senior Delhi Police officer said Tuesday.

The investigating officer, on the other hand, stated that a notice under Section 41A (notice of presence before police officer) of the CrPC was served on him to participate in the investigation. However, he said that Zubair was not answering most of the questions posed to him and was not helping with the investigation.

Mohammed Zubair was taken into custody by the Delhi Police Special Cell's IFSO (Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations) team on Monday evening.

According to co-founder Pratik Sinha, Zubair was summoned by police in a 2020 case in which the Delhi High Court had previously given him protection.

Earlier, Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra criticised the Delhi Police for "bending over backwards to please sahibs." She claimed Muhammad Zubair was arrested "on a fabricated charge" while "Ms Fringe Sharma lives a life of protection."

Delhi Police bending over backwards to please sahibs & thumb nose at law.@zoo_bear arrested on trumped up case w/o notice while assisting in case where HC given him protection.

While Ms. Fringe Sharma enjoys life of protection at tax payer expense for EXACT same offences.

— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) June 27, 2022

Zubair was booked under sections 153A (promotion of enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language) and 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Delhi Police said.