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Who is Zubair: UP says facts twister, not fact-checker; SC grants him bail in 6 FIRs

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Earlier this week, the Uttar Pradesh government told the Supreme Court that Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair made graded payments for his tweets to inflame communal passion — more vicious the tweet the higher the payments — and admitted receiving Rs 2 crore.

However, uninterested by UP counsel’s vehement arguments, the Supreme Court said it does not see a reason for deprivation of his liberty to persist any further and granted him interim bail in all the six FIRs registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police. From his arrest to release, Zubair had occupied the media spotlight. Zubair, who is a self-proclaimed fact-checker, is employed with Pravda Media Foundation promoted Alt News.

Uttar Pradesh’s Additional Advocate General Garima Prasad pressed in the Supreme Court that Zubair is a person who, instead of informing the police of hate speech, has been taking advantage of speeches and videos having potential of creating a communal divide and he had shared them repeatedly. The counsel claimed his tweets are meant to inflame communal violence, which actually took place, in certain localities of Uttar Pradesh, where videos of crimes were used along with comments to incite communal elements to indulge in violence.

The UP’s counsel urged a bench headed by justice D.Y. Chandrachud to impose a bail condition that Zubair should not tweet, adding that there are doubts if he can be called a journalist. However, refusing to restrain Zubair from tweeting, the top court said, “It is like telling a lawyer that you should not argue. How can we tell a journalist that he will not write?” The UP counsel reiterated, “He is not a journalist…” Justice Chandrachud further added that if he violates any law by tweeting, then the authorities can proceed against him as per law.

At 6 p.m. the same day, the self-proclaimed fact-checker, who had put the spotlight on former BJP leader Nupur Sharma for her remarks on the Prophet, quietly walked out of the Tihar jail wearing a baseball cap, and a full mask. However, his release from the jail does not resolve the mystery about his identity, which remains far from over. A single question created a raze on the social media: who is Mohammed Zubair? Where does he come from?

Zubair co-founded fact-checking website Alt News, along with former software engineer Pratik Sinha in 2017 to combat fake news. According to police and security agencies, Zubair, aged between 39-40 years, is a resident of Bengaluru, who holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Telcom Engineering from private M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology (MSRIT). He has travelled to Saudi Arabia and Australia.

Zubair has a family with a wife, kids, and parents. He completed his engineering degree in 2005. He then joined Airtel Enterprises in Bengaluru as an engineer and worked there for two years. Zubair, then worked in CISCO-HCL company for one year before joining Nokia-Siemens Network (NSN) in 2008 and travelled the entire country, including all big metros as part of his job. Zubair worked for the NSN for a decade.

In 2015, he met Pravda Foundation Director Pratik Sinha and his mother Nirjhari Sinha. Pratik Sinha’s father Mukul Sinha ran a campaign against then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi over Gujarat riots. Pratik’s father, who was a scientist and also trained as a lawyer, went on to represent victims of the communal riots in Gujarat and he also took on the Narendra Modi government through sustained cross-examination in the Nanavati-Shah Commission which investigated the Godhra train carnage, riots and alleged fake encounters that followed.

It was after this meeting that Zubair and Pravada Foundation joined hands to set up Alt News by labelling it as a fact-checking website.

On July 20, giving out details on Zubair’s controversial credentials claiming to be fact-checker, the UP counsel told the Supreme Court that under the guise of fact-checking, Zubair is promoting malicious and provocative content, and she also pointed at violence in Uttar Pradesh, Ghaziabad-Loni incident, which took place after his tweet, which was a video of an old man beaten by some people.

The counsel added that Zubair took advantage of this video, tweeted it to lakhs of his followers and added sentences which inflamed violence. The counsel said he had given a written apology saying that without checking facts he had gone ahead and added that Zubair was using Twitter as a medium to spread disinformation and creating communal tension by twisting facts. The counsel reiterated in the Supreme Court that he is not a journalist!

National News

Trump says India and Pakistan ‘agree to full and immediate ceasefire’

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Donald Trump says “India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire”.

In a post on social media platform Truth Social, the US President says: “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE.

“Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

We have not heard this from either India or Pakistan, stay with us for the latest developments.

Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect, Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, Ishaq Dar says.

He adds: “Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity!”

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Cyber Department warns against fake news circulation amid rising India-Pak tensions

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Mumbai, May 10: The Office of the Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra Cyber Department, on Saturday issued an advisory warning against the circulation of fake news amid cross-border tensions, asking the citizens to show restraint.

“Spreading false information, knowingly or unknowingly, is a punishable offence under relevant provisions of law. Maharashtra Cyber strongly advises all citizens to exercise restraint and discernment while consuming and sharing information, particularly in relation to matters of national importance. The Government of India maintains official communication channels and verified platforms for issuing statements, updates, and press releases concerning national security and defence matters. Citizens are urged to rely exclusively on these official sources for information and are firmly discouraged from forwarding or amplifying unverified messages, videos, or images that may contribute to social discord or misinformation,” said the advisory.

The department has appealed to all individuals to act responsibly, verify facts from authorised sources, and report any suspicious or misleading content at the earliest opportunity.

“In view of the prevailing cross-border tensions, accurate and timely information concerning developments at the border and adjoining regions holds vital importance for citizens. However, Maharashtra Cyber has observed with concern that amidst the dissemination of critical information, several instances of fake news are being circulated across various digital platforms. This misinformation not only misleads the public but also promotes confusion and unrest within society,” said the advisory.

“A considerable volume of this fake content pertains to alleged army movements, strategic operations, or retaliatory measures from neighbouring countries. Such unverified and misleading content poses a serious risk to national security and may contribute to the escalation of tensions. Unsocial elements appear to be exploiting the sensitivity of the situation by generating and distributing this fake news with the intention of gaining followers, inciting panic, or manipulating public perception,” said the advisory.

Taking cognisance of these developments, Maharashtra Cyber has issued several notices for the removal of such false narratives across social media and communication platforms. The department remains fully committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy information environment and will continue to coordinate with platform operators and enforcement agencies to curb the spread of misinformation.

The Cyber Department’s advisory comes a day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde warned that the government will take stern action against those spreading fake news on social media.

CM Fadnavis, at the meeting he chaired to review the security arrangement and preparedness amid escalating conflict between India and Pakistan, asked the administration to study the central government’s ‘Union War Book’ in depth and inform everyone about it.

Police cyber cells in every district should monitor social media and identify handles that are helping Pakistan and take action against them. If anyone is helping the enemy or spreading false information, take action against them, he said at the meeting.

Further, Eknath Shinde said, “Spreading fake news on social media is a serious crime. Strict action would be taken against it. We request that people not film, video, and broadcast whatever preparations are being made by the military and coast guard forces, as it is important from a security perspective.”

He announced that the government will initiate strong action against those engaged in spreading fake news on social media.

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National News

Missile-like object falls into Srinagar’s Dal Lake, drone shot down over Srinagar airfield

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Srinagar/Jammu, May 10: A missile-like object dropped into Srinagar’s Dal Lake on Saturday as loud explosions rocked the city.

Officials said that a missile-like object fell into Dal Lake this morning. The object’s debris has been recovered and is being analysed, the officials added.

Another suspicious object was recovered from the Lasjan area of Srinagar, and the same is also being analysed.

Loud explosions continued to rock Srinagar and Jammu cities as people started panicking and asking about these explosions.

Five people, including Raj Kumar Thapa, Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC) Rajouri and a woman identified as Rashida Bi were among the five killed persons by indiscriminate shelling by Pakistan.

One person identified as Ashok Kumar was killed by a splinter in the R.S. Pura area of Jammu. Two residents of Bihar, including a two-year-old boy and a 36-year-old man, were also killed in the Mendhar area of Poonch district.

Jammu and Kashmir L-G Manoj Sinha said on X, “Reviewed security situation in the border districts. Anguished by the loss of lives due to unprovoked shelling by Pakistan. We have lost brave citizens, including our ADDC Rajouri, Dr. Raj Kumar Thapa, in the line of duty. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.”

A drone was shot down by the air-defence system at the old airfield in Srinagar on Saturday as the city was rocked by massive blasts, officials said.

Two massive explosions were heard near the Srinagar airport around noon, they said.

The officials said a drone hovering over the old airfield, also called the “technical” airport, was shot down by the air defence system.

Further details were awaited, they added.

Former chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said on X, “Even though initially U.S. Vice President Vance stated that America wouldn’t intervene beyond a certain point in the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan – now in light of the worrying intensity of the situation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reached out to the Pakistani Army Chief, urging de-escalation. India, as the world’s largest democracy and now as an emerging power/ the most populous nation, with a rapidly growing economy ranked third globally, must not rely on inconsistent international support. Instead, India should embrace its leadership role in the subcontinent and take the first step to de-escalate. The world is watching us. This is the moment for India to stand tall and demonstrate that its true strength lies in its soft power and commitment to peace, not in nukes.”

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