Thread by @barandbench

[BREAKING] Counsel for co founder of @AltNews & fact checker Mohammed Zubair to mention his plea in #SupremeCourt before CJI NV Ramana led bench seeking to quash all the six FIRs registered against him in Uttar Pradesh. Advocate to seek urgent listing of the matter #zubairarrest

Read more about the plea moved by @zoo_bear in #SupremeCourt

barandbench.com/news/mohammed-…

Adv Vrinda Grover: He is a journalist and a fact checker. there are slew of FIR invoked against him. Can I seek a listing today itself

CJI: No not today... List before Justice DY Chandrachud
You can mention before that bench. I am listing it before Justice Chandrachud

Zubair Case Development in #SupremeCourt

Advocate Vrinda Grover before Justice DY Chandrachud led bench to mention the matter seeking to quash all FIRs registered against @zoo_bear in UP

#zubairarrest

Grover: This was mentioned before CJI Ramana. I am seeking an urgent hearing on a plea by a journalist. as we speak he has been produced in hathras.

Justice Chandrachud: We will take it tomorrow?

Grover: he was taken to hathras court today morning

Justice Chandrachud: Mr Solicitor we will come back in 20 minutes

Grover: there is a remand order

Justice Chandrachud: CJI led bench had listed before us
lets have it tomorrow

Grover: there is a police remand proceeding. there is complete abuse of the process.

Grover: Please stay the Hathras court proceeding there are threats to his life. Cash rewards have been announced against him !

#zubairarrest

Justice Chandrachud: we will take it up as first item tomorrow

Grover: this FIR is registered on the basis of cash rewards. Please let the Hathras CJM stay his hands off till SC hears it

SC: We will hear this after 20 minutes. Let us come back and hear this #zubairarrest

Supreme Court discharges the rest of the board, rest of the matters to be taken up on Friday

Justice Chandrachud: SG Mehta, in Zubair matter assist us even if you dont have instructions. we will take it up after 20 minutes
#ZubairArrested

Matter to begin now
#ZubairArrest

Grover: i am compelled because of the circumstance. I know milords have just recovered. I dont want to be heartless. the petitioner is a journalist and fact checker with Alt News.

Justice Chandrachud: After lunch we are rejuvenated. We dealt with the Sitapur case last week

Grover: there are 2 in hathras, one in lakhimpur kheri, one in sitapur and one in ghaziabad. all are new FIRs

Grover: as soon as Sitapur protection was grnated, the lakhimpur kheri court production warrant was issued, Delhi court has granted me bail in the Delhi police FIR

Grover: In some Section 298 A IPC is added and in some Section 67 IT Act is applicable. Maximum punishment is three years. What is the purpose of investigation? #zubairarrest

SC: We get the broad gist of the plea. you seek to quash the 5 FIRs. Now what do you want us to do today..

SG Mehta: as far as Hathras is concerned, application for 14 day police custody remand is listed today. arguments are heard. remand may or may not be granted

SG: Can a competent court be stopped from passing an order?

Grover: The status report had expanded the scope of investigation. they said they are looking at larger conspiracy. so they are seized with it and they have made recoveries

Grover: Look at the misuse of the process of law. There are have been cash rewards announced for registering FIR or to get him arrested.

SG: These are not grounds for quashing

Grover: Please let me argue. There was FIR reward state so there were 28 rewards.

Grover: it was said that FIR must be registered to stop relentless attacks on Hindus and the Hindu gods and this act should be on the basis of Dharma

SG: i mean..

Grover: no this is not funny.... human liberty is involved.

Grover: there was a video put up on how to register complaint, is this how criminal law machinery has to be used to target a journalist whom you do not agree with. #zubairarrest

Grover: While He was in custody of Delhi police thereaftet the evergreening of custody begins. please see FIR..it was registered by the same person who got a reward for thec omplaint. he filed a complaint against @zoo_bear for insulting Hindu Gods

Grover: Then the complainant says that the edited video clip was played by Zubair. it was not the clip was played by a TV channel.

Grover: Then please refer to the page 132 onwards.... there are direct threats of getting him killed. There has been no action against any twitter handle by the UP Police.

SC: what is it that you seek today?

Grover: I seek interim bail in all these cases as in Sitapur case

Grover: on the same subject matter multiple proceedings have been initiated. now they want to go to Calcutta, to mumbai etc

SC: The matter is not on board before us..SG was before us already so he appeared. we can have this tomorrow. what you want today

Grover: interim bail

SC: Are all FIRs based on same tweet?

Grover: it only refers to tweets it does not even annexe the tweets, Delhi police had analysed all of these

Judges discuss

#zubairarrest

Grover: vacation bench of this court had granted interim protection in the Sitapur case. Please take a look at the order of remand

Justice Chandrachud: we will list this petition for interim bail till day after tomorrow. We say no precipitative action be taken against Zubair till day after tomorrow in all 6 FIRs

SG: A judicial order cannot be precipitative

Justice Chandrachud: that is why when he is granted bail in one another case is listed against him. So the vicious cycle continues

ORDER: SC: upon being mentioned by Ms Grover before CJI led bench, the plea was taken up on board by urgent mentioning. the subject matter under Article 32 arises from 5 FIRs lodged against the petitioner which are laid down below

SC: Petitioner was granted regular bail on July 15 by Patiala House court in Delhi police FIR. he was also granted bail in Sitapur case by SC vacation bench. Ms Grover submits that petitioner has been directed to be produced before Hathras court

#ZubairArrest

SC: We direct registry to list this case on July 20, 2022. In the meantime no precipitate steps shall be taken against petitioner in connection with any of the 5 FIRs be taken without the leave of this court. issue notice. Requested SG Mehta to assist the court in this matter

SG: I did not want your lordships to invest a lot of time in this matter

Justice Chandrachud smiles

Matter over. to be listed on July 20.

#zubairarrest