Thread by @barandbench

Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair, who was arrested in an alleged case of promoting enmity, will be brought before Chief Metropolitan Magistrata Snigdha Sarvaria after completion of his one-day custody.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Advocate Vrinda Grover appearing for Zubair. #MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Zubair produced before the court by Delhi police.

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Matter called out.

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Prosecutor begins argues and reiterates allegations.

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Grover: He is a fact checker and a journalist based in Bangalore.

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Grover: He was summoned to Delhi in a different matter. He was granted protection by high court by Justice Yogesh Khanna.

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Grover: In that report Delhi police has said that tweet is not offensive.

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Grover: I went for investigation and not one question in that FIR was asked to me.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Grover: I was arrested and produced at the residence of a duty magistrate in Burari although this court was available for 24 hours... Duty magistrate wasn't inclined and gave only one day custody.

The allegations are factually wrong.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Grover reads the offences section 153A and 295 IPC: The tweet they're referring to is of 2018.

Grover now reads statement of the emergency officer.

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Grover: The tweet is of March 2018. What is the tweet about. What is tweeted...

Reads the tweet.

PP said that I had edited the image.

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Grover: Some IFSO, which intelligence unit looking at cyber crime.... This image and it is available in many tweets. This image is from a film of Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

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Grover: Kissi Se Na Kehna. It stars Farukh Shaikh and Deepti Naval.

In the film. It is a newly married couple and they go the hotel.

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Grover narrating the film scene.

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Grover: This image which is being shown as a reason for arresting somebody is from a Hindi cinema.

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Grover: This is a film certificate. Ye film ban nahi huyi thi. Sabne dekhi thi. (This film was not banned. Everyone watched it).

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Grover: After the CBFC certificate, there are multiple Twitter handles which are applauding the fact that honeymoon hotel has been made Hanuman hotel.

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Grover: Not one, multiple Twitter handles are saying.

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Grover: Be that as it may. It's a large country, free country. People can say what they want.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Grover: I have not done anything. I am arrested under 153A.

It requires two communities. Let's look at the Hanuman Bhakt – the Twitter handle.

Let's the handle. It borders on absurdity.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Grover: It alerted them after four years.

Grover now reads content of the tweet tagging Delhi police.

Next date FIR is registered.

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Grover: We have to remain under the purview of law. I'm startled at what has happened. This was done in a 1983 film. I can establish this.

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Grover: I'll come to why he has been targeted. And that is coherent – the malicious targeting of my client.

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Grover now reading Section 295 IPC.

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Grover: First ingredient they will have to satisfy is destruction or damage to an establishment. This is not a place of worship. It from a 1983 film.. this is joke on honeymooners. What is the defilement?

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Grover: Yes, I'm a fact checker and I speak mind as a journalist. How is 295 invoked in FIR?

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Grover: This man has to be harassed, law has to be abused then yes police doing exactly that.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Grover: Just now they said it's edited. They will have to establish that. I will establish that it's from a film.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Grover: This FIR was lodged by a police officer. I'd like to know if the police officer knows what's he's doing.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Grover: I got the FIR late night. My juniors, who are active on social media, downloaded the remand copy from a news channel. I didn't get it from the police.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Grover: There's nothing in my tweet... What's offensive? Is it their case that there is a distinction of faith or name. Is the distinction my name, what I do? There's nothing different from what other people have tweeted.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Grover: They're seeking my laptop because I have been challenging many things.

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Grover: Law can't be used to silence a citizen. If I have committed a crime punish me. But if police is acting with malice and malafide then this court won't turn a blind eye.

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Grover now reads a judgment.

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Grover: I lost a mobile phone long ago. Arresting me, intimidating me is not going to get them a mobile phone. Laptop has nothing to do.

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Grover: It is a store house of my personal information. They want my laptop because I'm a journalist. Journalists have sensitive info.

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Grover: Why is my laptop something that they are after?

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Grover: The penalty under 153A is max 3 years. The penalty under 295 is up to 2 years. This is a tweet of 2018.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Grover: Their own cause of action is March 2018. If an anonymous Twitter handle chose to create mischief in the country those reasons should be investigated.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Grover: My client is being targeted for his work. He may be challenging people who are powerful but that can't be a reason for his harassment.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Grover: These can't come under the purview of 153A. Which group is against which group?

Grover now refers to a judgment.

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Grover: Let us take the tweet of Hanuman Bhakt on face value. It is not a case of 153A. In any case, he is not the spokesperson of everyone.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Grover: Who does it incite? What are the groups? What is the insult? Many tweeted and still no flutter. Honeymooners and brahmacharis are not two groups creating unrest in the country.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Grover: Can my liberty be restrained even for a day because I am somebody who's doesn't agree with someone in power. But that's not how democracy functions. Remand can't be mechanical.

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Grover: A journalist is targeted for speaking truth to power. It is my duty as a journalist.

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Groves requests for playing the scene. Not only I'm opposing the remand, which will be abuse of power. I'm also seeking bail.

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Public Prosecutor: Ye trend banaya hua hai ki famous hone ke liye religious outrage karte hain. They outrage feelings of Hindu religion.

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Public Prosecutor: There are 4 more posts. In one post Mahabharat character Sanjay is shown using the laptop.

All applications are deleted from the mobile phone.

He came with a blank phone.

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Grover: I was called in a different case. In each case I'm given protection.

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Public Prosecutor: His deliberate act is there on record which is outraging religious sentiments. He is not an anonymous complainant. His details are there.

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Public Prosecutor: There is requirement of police remand. This is the first time it came to our knowledge.

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Grover again requests to play the film scene.

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Order in 20 minutes.

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Delhi police has sought 5 days remand.

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[BREAKING] Mohammed Zubair remanded to four days police custody.

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Zubair's counsel move application for lawyers visitation in Delhi and Bangalore.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Court has granted police custody to allow police recover his laptop from Bangalore.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice

Court has granted police custody to allow police recover his laptop and phone from Bangalore, which was purportedly used to post the tweet in question.

#MohammedZubair #AltNews #DelhiPolice