Connect with us
Friday,10-October-2025
Breaking News

Crime

Was fact-checker Zubair arrested for being evasive, uncooperative?

Published

on

Alt news’ co-founder Mohammed Zubair was arrested as he was not at all being cooperative with the police in the investigation of a case registered against him, a senior Delhi Police official said on Tuesday.

Zubair came into major limelight after he posted BJP’s now suspended spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s controversial comment on Prophet Mohammed. He was arrested on Monday for his objectionable tweets which he posted in 2018.

After his arrest, the police said he was not cooperating with the investigation. “We had served him a notice under section 41 A of the CrPc, but he was evasive and not cooperating in the investigation,” the official told IANS.

The official said that Zubair was “evasive on the questions” and neither provided the necessary technical equipment for the purpose of the investigation nor cooperated in the investigation.

“During investigation, the conduct of Mohammed Zubair was found questionable, which warranted his custodial interrogation to unravel the conspiracy in this matter,” the official added.

The section 41 A of the Code of Criminal Procedure deals with the notice of appearance before police officers.

Under this, the police officer shall, in all cases where the arrest of a person is not required, issue a notice directing the person against whom a reasonable complaint has been made, or credible information has been received, or a reasonable suspicion exists that he has committed a cognizable offence, to appear before him or at such other place as may be specified in the notice.

When such a notice is issued to any person, it shall be the duty of that person to comply with the terms of the notice. When such person complies and continues to comply with the notice, he shall not be arrested in respect of the offence referred to in the notice unless, for reasons to be recorded, the police officer is of the opinion that he ought to be arrested.

And when the person being questioned is not cooperative, the law says that if such person, at any time, fails to comply with the terms of the notice or is unwilling to identify himself, the police officer may, subject to such orders as may have been passed by a competent court in this behalf, arrest him for the offence mentioned in the notice.

The official said that the counsel for the accused Mohammed Zubair moved application for grant of bail, however, the same was heard at length and not finding the merits, the bail was ultimately declined.

The 33-year-old fact-checker is currently under police custody and is being interrogated over one of his objectionable tweets which he posted in 2018. After Zubair’s tweet, his followers on social media entities amplified and created a series of debates and hate mongering in the thread.

“He was examined in this separate case and his role was found objectionable,” the official said.

The police have charged Zubair with Indian Penal Code sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).

Sources told IANS that the tweet for which Zubair is being questioned is 4 years old. In the said tweet, accused 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”.

Meanwhile, the Opposition left no chance to train guns at the present dispensation and accused them of curbing free speech and targeting those who are exposing the BJP.

“Every person exposing BJP’s hate, bigotry and lies is a threat to them. Arresting one voice of truth will only give rise to a thousand more. Truth ALWAYS triumphs over tyranny,” tweeted Rahul Gandhi soon after the news of fact-checker’s arrest broke out.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that Altnews and Zubair have been in the forefront of exposing the “bogus claims of the Vishguru”, who has struck back with a vengeance characteristic of him. “Delhi Police, reporting to the Union Home Minister, has long lost any pretensions of professionalism and independence,” he said.

Pertinent to mention here that Zubair was the first person to share former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nupur Sharma’s alleged remarks against Prophet Mohammed during a TV debate.

The controversial statement made by Nupur Sharma set off an international furore. Several Muslim nations, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia and Iran, as well as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation officially protested their statements and demanded an apology.

Following the uproar, the Bharatiya Janata Party suspended Sharma and another leader, Naveen Kumar Jindal, who also made insulting comments against Prophet Muhammad on social media.

However, soon after her comments, Sharma was targeted on social media and received thousands of death threats following which the police provided a security cover to her.

She had lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police on May 27 alleging that she had been receiving death threats and was a target of hatred.

Crime

Thane Residents Zakir Irani And Sonu Jadhav Get Five-Year Jail Term, ₹15.3 Lakh Fine For Chain Snatching

Published

on

Mumbai: The special MCOCA court on Thursday sentenced two Thane residents to five years’ imprisonment for chain snatching and operating a crime syndicate in a November 2020 incident. The MCOCA court imposed a fine of Rs15.3 lakh on each of the accused.

The court found Zakir Irani, 39, guilty of chain snatching and heading a crime syndicate involved in such crimes, along with Sonu Ananta Jadhav, alias Raj, 28.

According to the prosecution, the complainant was on a morning walk toward Goal Garden, Malad (East), on November 9, 2020, at around 6am. At around 6.10am, a blue-coloured motor scooter approached from behind, and the pillion rider attempted to snatch a gold chain from his neck. The complainant resisted, but the pillion rider inflicted a blow with a helmet on his head, causing him to lose his balance. The rider then snatched the chain.

The complainant claimed that two passersby helped him get up, but the assailants threatened to kill him by running him over. The complainant chased them and tried to note the bike’s license plate number, but two digits were missing. He later lodged a complaint with Dindoshi police station. The police acted quickly and, based on a confidential tip, arrested Irani on the same day. A month later, Jadhav was also arrested.

Public prosecutor Jaysingh Desai contended that Irani had four prior cases and was out on bail when he attacked the complainant in this case. It was also noted that Jadhav was a co-accused in some of these cases. Desai argued that Irani headed the syndicate.

The prosecution stated, “It clearly reflects that in each and every case, Zakir is the ma in accused and there are certain other associates like Gulam Hussain with Zakir in three cases…. In all cases, the modus operandi is the same: the accused target the victim’s neck to snatch a gold chain or mangalsutra.”

Continue Reading

Crime

Mumbai Crime: 32-Year-Old BMC Employee Found Dead Inside SRA Building At HDIL Compound In Kurla; Police Launch Probe

Published

on

Mumbai: A 32-year-old employee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was found dead in Building No. 9 of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project at HDIL Compound, Kurla (West), on Thursday afternoon, police officials said. The incident was reported around 4:30 PM by the V B Nagar Police Station.

According to the police, the deceased has been identified as Rajesh Parmar, a resident of the Ghatkopar area, who worked in the BMC Solid Waste Management (SWM) department, F North Ward.

The body has been sent to the Rajawadi Hospital for postmortem examination. The exact cause of death remains unknown and further investigation is currently underway.

Continue Reading

Crime

Mumbai Shocker: 20-Year-Old Specially-Abled Girl Sexually Assaulted By Over 17 Men; DNA Samples Sent For Testing

Published

on

Mumbai: A very shocking incident has taken place in South Mumbai. A shocking incident has come to light in South Mumbai where a 20-year-old girl was sexually abused by more than 17 people on different days.

In this Case have been registered against unknown person under 64 (2) (i) (commits rape, on a woman incapable of giving consent) and 64 (2) (k) (commits rape on a woman suffering from mental illness or physical disability) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita at Cuffe Parade police station, said the police officer. Blood samples of more than 17 suspects named by the victim girl have been taken and sent for DNA testing with the Fetus.

According to FIR, This case was registered on September 22 and in this case, a 17-year-old minor boy has been taken into custody and a 34-year-old married man has been arrested.

Importantly, the NGO Vidhayak Bharati has helped the police in getting the victim girl, who is a special child, who unable to talk proper and deaf. Psi Ashwini Koli – Patil worked hard to detect this crime case.

According to the information given by the police, The victim girl complained to her grandmother that she felt worms moving in her stomach. She was then admitted to Cama Hospital. At that time, it was revealed that the girl was 5 months pregnant. Then the Call received from Cama Hospital to Police was unmarried, mentally retarded and five months pregnant.

In connection with this incident, when Cuffe Parade Police went to the said place to record the statement of the Victim woman. But she unable to record statement. Then Police have recorded statement of her father that she was mentally retarded since she could not speak and deaf. He did not know anything about this and told him that he did not want to file a complaint. Victim Father has refused to give Complaint.

However, on September 22, when she was brought to the police station for further investigation, she ready to filed a complaint against an unknown person. Then her father became ready to file Complaint.

The complainant and Victim’s Father said that some unknown person took advantage of her inability to speak and being mentally retarded, five to six months ago, while her daughter was living at house, and took advantage of this situation and raped and sexually assaulted her, even though he knew that she was not capable of giving consent to physical intercourse. A case has been registered.

It was difficult for psi Ashwini Koli Patil to solve this case. However, Counselor Lila Patade and Councilor Madhura Kodlekar – Counselor from Vidhayak Bharti – Child Rights Organizations helped in recording the girl’s statement using drawing and finger doll therapy for 5 days and 4-5 hours.

During this counseling, the person who was repeatedly named by the victim girl was arrested and a minor boy was detained. While the persons who were repeatedly named in the investigation were shown as suspects and their blood samples were taken for DNA.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending