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Twitter account that alerted police about Zubair’s tweet ‘vanishes’

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The Twitter account that alerted Delhi Police regarding Alt news co-founder Mohammed Zubair’s ‘objectionable’ post no longer exists on the social media platform.

As per the FIR copy of the case, accessed by IANS, the account, Hanuman Bhakt, bore the username @balajikijaiin.

Zubair, 33, is currently in police custody and is being questioned over one of his objectionable tweets which he posted in 2018.

After Zubair’s tweet, his followers on social media amplified and created a series of debates and hate mongering in the thread.

According to the FIR, Zubair had used a screengrab of an old Hindi movie which showed an image of a hotel, with its board reading ‘Hanuman hotel’ instead of ‘Honeymoon hotel’.

In his tweet, Zubair had written: “BEFORE 2014: Honeymoon Hotel. After 2014: Hanuman Hotel”.

The complainant — Twitter user @balajikijaiin, tagging the Delhi Police had written: “Linking our God Hanuman Ji with Honeymoon is a direct insult of Hindus because he is a brahmchari. Kindly take action against this.”

Noting the complaint, the police in the FIR said that the words and pictures used by Zubair in the tweet against a particular community were highly provocative and more than sufficient to incite feelings of hatred among people which can be detrimental for maintenance of public tranquility in the society.

Interestingly, it was the only tweet that was done from the said account which ultimately led to Zubair’s arrest.

The issue of the said Twitter account’s veracity also surfaced during Zubair’s hearing on Tuesday.

His counsel Vrinda Grover said that if an anonymous Twitter handle chose to create mischief in the country, those reasons should be investigated.

The prosecutor, in her reply, said that the said account user is just a mere informer.

“He is not an anonymous complainant. His details are here. Without details, no one can get a Twitter account,” the prosecutor replied.

National News

Tejashwi attacks JD-U leader Sanjay Jha, alleges leaders like him entrapped Nitish Kumar for Rajya Sabha

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Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) National Working President and Bihar Leader of Opposition (LoP) Tejashwi Yadav launched a sharp attack on the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) National Working President and MP Sanjay Jha on Thursday, while leaving Patna for Madhubani.

Responding to Sanjay Jha’s criticism of the Wednesday’s Lok Bhavan march led by the Bihar LoP, Tejashwi said that Jha should first save his own position, alleging that there was considerable opposition to him within the JD-U.

He also accused Sanjay Jha of having entrapped Nitish Kumar and alleged that Jha and others were close to Home Minister Amit Shah.

Tejashwi also targeted the Bihar government over the death of 19-year-old Roshan Yadav in jail in Madhubani.

He claimed that the youth had been forcibly taken away by police and that serious questions had arisen regarding the circumstances of his death.

Tejashwi said he had spoken to Roshan’s family and was travelling to Madhubani to meet them personally.

He said he would also speak with the concerned officials and seek justice for the family.

The RJD leader made allegations regarding the treatment of Roshan, claiming that the youth had been assaulted and subjected to electric shocks while allegedly being kept in police custody.

These allegations are claims made by Tejashwi Yadav and would require investigation and independent verification.

The LoP alleged that Bihar was being transformed into a “police state” under Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and said that the RJD would not allow such a situation to develop.

He also referred to a murder in Hajipur, saying he planned to meet the victim’s family as part of his visit to several locations in the state.

He accused the state government of failing on the law-and-order front and alleged that criminal activity was increasing across Bihar.

Asked about the ongoing student protest at Patna’s Gardanibagh, Tejashwi reiterated his support for the demonstrators, particularly those on hunger strike.

He urged the Bihar government to seriously consider their demands and warned that continued inaction could intensify the students’ agitation.

His remarks came a day after the RJD’s Lok Bhavan march in Patna, during which Tejashwi was detained by police before later being released.

The RJD-led march had focused on student issues, unemployment, examination irregularities and the controversy surrounding alleged AK-47 firing during a student protest in Siwan.

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National News

‘Matter between two nations’: J&K CM Omar Abdullah on US-Pakistan row over Sergio Gor’s remarks

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, commenting on Pakistan summoning the US envoy over US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor’s statement, said on Thursday that the ambassador had made his remarks and the matter was now between the two countries.

Omar Abdullah was reacting to reports that Pakistan had summoned the US envoy over Gor’s statement on Wednesday that Kashmir is an important part of India.

When asked about Pakistan summoning the US envoy over US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor’s remark that Jammu and Kashmir is an important part of India, Omar Abdullah said the matter was between Pakistan and the US.

“Whatever the US ambassador said, he said. Now it is between the two countries,” the CM said.

Hours after Gor’s remarks, Pakistan’s Foreign Office had summoned the US envoy in Islamabad and lodged protest over the remarks.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting Omar Abdullah on Wednesday, Gor said that the US would reconsider its travel advisories on Kashmir, noting that Kashmir is an important part of India.

This was Sergio Gor’s maiden visit to J&K after he took over his assignment as the US ambassador to India.

Earlier, Omar Abdullah had said he would discuss issues with the visiting US ambassador, but would not complain about anything since it was the central government that could address issues in J&K and not the US.

Gor graduated from George Washington University, where he was involved in conservative causes, participating in College Republicans and founding the university’s chapter of Young America’s Foundation.

He was an activist for Arizona senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign and worked for the Republican National Committee, later serving as the spokesman for representatives Steve King, Michele Bachmann, and Randy Forbes.

In May 2013, Gor began working for Kentucky senator Rand Paul’s political action committee, RANDPAC, eventually serving as Paul’s spokesman, communications director, and deputy chief of staff.

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Maharashtra

Former SC judge R. Subhash Reddy to head 5-member panel to probe Jantar Mantar clashes

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Supreme Court’s former Justice R. Subhash Reddy will head the five-member High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) constituted by the apex court to investigate allegations of police excesses during the students’ march from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament on July 20.

The other members of the panel are: the Punjab & Haryana High Court’s former Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, Delhi High Court’s former judge, Justice Shalinder Kaur, the Central Bureau of Investigation’s former Director Rishi Kumar Shukla, and Meghalaya’s former DGP, Dr L.R. Bishnoi.

The Supreme Court said in its order that the constitution of the HPEC “shall in no way deter or debar the Police authorities or other security forces from taking administrative or disciplinary action against such of their officers as may be found to be in contravention of the rules governing their conduct”.

The issues identified for investigation by the Committee include allegations of excessive force, including pellet guns, electric batons, lathi charges and tear gas, as well as the question whether police responses were proportionate to the constitutional right to peaceful protest.

It will also examine whether police/security personnel were properly identifiable through uniforms and nameplates.

In its order delivered on Tuesday, a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant directed the HPEC to look into “the use of excessive force and violence against protestors by police authorities and other agencies, including the deployment of pellet guns, electric batons, lathi charges, and tear gas without adequate warning or proportionality, resulting in severe bodily harm and injuries, some of which are alleged to be of a grievous and lasting nature”.

The Committee will also look into the necessity of ensuring that police and security personnel wear proper uniforms and visible nameplates at the time of effecting arrests or using force during crowd control operations, so as to secure accountability and enable the identification of individual officers.

The CJI clarified that the larger constitutional questions related to facial recognition technology, surveillance and privacy will be decided by the apex court itself and not by the committee.

The Supreme Court also directed the presentation of CCTV footage to the Committee for investigation.

“The Police Authorities, Para-Military Forces, and other Investigating Agencies, who were directed vide order dated July 28, 2026, to preserve all CCTV footage, drone footage, body-worn camera recordings, videography, wireless communication records, and PCR call logs pertaining to the student protests, and furnish the entire record to the HPEC and extend their full cooperation,” it said.

The court asked the Committee to complete its inquiry and deliberations and submit its ‘First Interim Report’ at the earliest.

Alleged violence, harassment, and molestation of women protesters; provision for medical assistance and compensation for injured protesters; use of prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS and whether Section 152 BNSS was used in a manner that could suppress peaceful political dissent will also be examined by the panel.

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