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

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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

Mumbai Drug Case: Boyfriend Of Peddler Ashwini Paul Taken Into Custody For Supplying Ecstasy Pills

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Police on Tuesday took into custody Aamir Sayyed, the boyfriend of arrested drug peddler Ashwini Paul, from jail in connection with an Ecstasy pills drug case.

According to police sources, Aamir Sayyed is suspected to have supplied around 5,000 Ecstasy pills that were recovered from Ashwini Paul. Investigators are now probing the source of the contraband and his wider network.

Earlier, the Anti-Narcotics Cell had arrested Ashwini Paul from Titwala on Saturday with a massive consignment of Ecstasy tablets reportedly valued at around ₹6 crore. Two other accused were also arrested in the case.

During the investigation, Sayyed’s name surfaced as a key supplier. However, police found that he was already lodged in jail. He was subsequently taken into custody for questioning in this case.

Officials revealed that Sayyed had previously been arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in a cocaine seizure case. After being released on bail, he allegedly resumed drug trafficking activities.

His bail was cancelled in February after he repeatedly failed to appear for court hearings, following which the DRI sent him back to jail.

Police said that during his bail period, Sayyed had supplied Ecstasy pills to Ashwini Paul for distribution. Further investigation is underway.

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Crime

Minor Scratch On Two-Wheeler Snowballs Into Violent Youth Brawl At Telephone Exchange Chowk In Nagpur

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Nagpur: A shocking late-night clash at Telephone Exchange Chowk in Nagpur has come to light after a video of the incident surfaced online, showing two groups of youths brutally attacking each other following a minor dispute over a scratch on a two-wheeler.

The incident took place around 11 pm on Monday when two groups of young men, who were allegedly under the influence of alcohol, were on their way to a Savji hotel for dinner. The situation reportedly spiralled out of control after one group allegedly scratched the bike of the other, triggering a heated argument.

What initially began as a verbal spat soon turned into a violent street brawl. The visuals circulating online show members of both groups exchanging blows in the middle of the road, with the fight quickly intensifying. In the video, youths can be seen raining kicks and punches on each other, while also using sticks and whatever objects they could find nearby to attack their rivals.

The ferocity of the clash is evident in the footage, which shows complete chaos unfolding. At one point, several individuals are seen falling to the ground during the assault, while others continue the attack in full public view. The video further shows that after the violence subsided, one group began leaving the spot while members of the other group, who had collapsed on the road, were seen trying to help each other get back on their feet.

The incident has raised serious concerns over how quickly minor disagreements can snowball into dangerous and potentially fatal confrontations. That a dispute allegedly triggered by a scratch on a scooter could escalate into such a brutal attack has once again drawn attention to rising street violence and reckless behaviour, particularly when alcohol is involved.

The disturbing visuals have since gone viral on social media, sparking outrage and concern among viewers. The incident serves as yet another reminder of how unchecked anger and intoxication can turn a trivial matter into a life-threatening episode within minutes.

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CCTV captures brutal Mumbai assault linked to Yusuf Pathan’s relatives

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Mumbai, April 21: CCTV footage has emerged showing relatives of Yusuf Pathan, including his father-in-law, assaulting a Mumbai resident and his family following a dispute triggered by water splashing from a passing car in the Byculla area.

According to police, all identified accused have been arrested except one, after the incident came to light through video evidence and witness statements. The father-in-law of the Trinamool Congress MP was taken into custody on Monday along with his son and another relative. The three accused are alleged to have attacked a local resident and his family members two days earlier.

Officials from the Byculla Police Station said the CCTV footage forms a crucial part of the investigation and clearly captures the sequence of events leading to the assault.

The visuals show one individual, linked to the accused group, approaching the complainant’s vehicle and smashing its windshield using a bamboo stick or a similar object after water splashed on him from the car passing through a pothole.

Subsequently, a larger group, including those identified as Khalid Khan alias Makaliq — reported to be Yusuf Pathan’s father-in-law — along with his son Umarshad Khan, Shoaib Khan and another accused, Shehbaz Pathan, can be seen confronting the victim, Yusuf Khan, and his family members.

The footage depicts the accused carrying bamboo sticks and a baseball bat and aggressively attacking the victims. Multiple strikes are visible in the video, with scenes of chaos as the victims attempt to shield themselves while others try to intervene.

Police said the assault resulted in serious injuries, including a fractured hand suffered by the victim’s brother-in-law, Salman, and significant injuries to his uncle, Zaki Ahmed. The damaged vehicle, with its shattered windshield, is also visible in the footage.

Investigators stated that the assailants are clearly identifiable in the CCTV visuals, which have been used as primary evidence along with statements from eyewitnesses.

According to police, the clarity of the footage enabled them to identify the accused without ambiguity, leading to the swift arrest of three individuals, while one accused remains at large.

Further investigation into the case is ongoing, officials said.

The case has been registered under Sections 118(2), 115(2), 324, 352, 351(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

As per the police, the incident occurred on Saturday night around 9 p.m. when a local, Yusuf Khan (30), was returning home. Water from a pothole allegedly splashed onto another individual, identified as Shoaib Khan (35), after Yusuf Khan’s vehicle passed through it.

Yusuf Khan told police that he immediately stopped his car and apologised for the incident. However, Shoaib allegedly began abusing him verbally and damaged the car’s windshield using a bamboo stick before physically assaulting him, causing injuries.

After reaching home, Yusuf Khan’s family advised him to lodge a complaint with the police.

While heading towards the police station, Yusuf Khan allegedly encountered Khalid Khan, also known as ‘Makalik’ (Yusuf Pathan’s father-in-law). Police said Khalid was accompanied by his son, Umarsad Pathan (35), Shoaib Pathan and another accused, Shehbaz Pathan.

According to investigators, the group allegedly initiated another confrontation and attacked Yusuf Khan and his relatives using bamboo sticks and baseball bats.

During the assault, Yusuf Khan’s brother Salman suffered a fractured arm, while his uncle Zaki Ahmed sustained serious injuries. Police said Shehbaz Pathan remains absconding, while the other three accused have been arrested and booked for assault and causing grievous injuries.

The arrested accused were produced before a court, which remanded them to judicial custody.

Police said the action was based on CCTV footage, witness statements and the recovery of weapons used in the attack, including bamboo sticks and baseball bats. Investigators informed the court that the accused were clearly identified through CCTV visuals as well as by eyewitnesses.

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