Zubair was evasive on questions, did not cooperate in investigation: Delhi Police

"He was evasive on the questions and neither provided the necessary technical equipment for the purpose of the investigation nor cooperated in the investigation," said Delhi Police senior officials.

The officials also mentioned that the conduct of Zubair was found questionable, which warranted his custodial interrogation to unravel conspiracy in this matter.

"He has been arrested and is being produced before the court for seeking police custody remand," added Delhi Police senior officials.

Zubair was arrested on Monday by Delhi Police. He was booked under sections 153A (promotion of enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language) and 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to police, the case was registered on basis of a post on Twitter by handle Hanuman Bhakt @ balajikijaiin where he showed his anger against another Twitter handle in name of Mohammed Zubair regarding the post "BEFORE 2014: Honeymoon Hotel. After 2014: Hanuman Hotel".

"Delhi Police has registered a case after getting a complaint from a Twitter handle, wherein it was alleged that Mohammed Zubair had tweeted a questionable image with a purpose to deliberately insult the god of a particular religion. Such tweets were getting retweeted and it appeared that there is a brigade of social media entities, who indulge in insult mongering thereby leading to a possible ramification on communal harmony and is overall against the maintenance of public tranquillity," informed Delhi police senior officials.

"Today, Mohammed Zubair joined the investigation in Case FIR no. 194/20 PS-Special Cell. During the investigation of FIR no. 194/20, Delhi Police had given a status report, wherein the tweet by Mohammad Zubair was not found objectionable. Whereas, subsequent tweets after his tweet led to a series of questionable and derogatory tweets. In the investigation of FIR no. 194/20, he had been earlier examined and the investigation is on the verge of conclusion. In the month of June 2022, when Delhi Police was alerted by a Twitter handle that Mohammad Zubair had earlier made an objectionable tweet and his followers/social media entities had amplified and created a series of debates/hate-mongering in the tread, he was examined in this case i.e FIR no. 172/22 u/s 153A/295A IPC and his role was found objectionable," Delhi Police senior officials.

Pratik Sinha, another co-founder at Alt News, commented on his colleague's arrest and wrote on Twitter, "Zubair was called today by special cell, Delhi for investigation in a 2020 case for which he already had a protection against arrest from High Court."

"However, today at around 6.45 pm we were told he has been arrested in some other FIR for which no notice was given which is mandatory under law for the Sections under which he has been arrested. Nor FIR copy is being given to us despite repeated requests," Sinha said in a statement on the microblogging site. (ANI)