'Voice of dissent is necessary': Delhi court grants bail to journalist Mohammed Zubair

A court in Indian capital New Delhi on Friday granted bail to Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair. He was arrested in a case related to his alleged objectionable tweet in 2018 on a Hindu deity. While granting bail the court observed that "the voice of dissent is necessary for a healthy democracy".

The court noted that till Friday (July 15), the police have failed to establish the identity of a said Twitter user who felt offended by the tweet of the accused and based on whose complaint the present case was filed

In spite of the bail however, Zubair will remain in jail as he has been remanded to judicial custody in some FIRs. These FIRs are registered against him by UP Police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

Zubair will be sent to the concerned jail in Uttar Pradesh after his release, according to a Tihar jail official in Delhi. The journalist is currently lodged in Tihar jail since July 2.

While granting bail, Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala said Indian democracy and the political parties are open for their criticism and that merely criticism of any political parties is no ground to invoke section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 295A (outraging religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code(IPC).

"Undoubtedly free speech is the proper foundation of a democratic society."

Further, the court said that Hindu religion, one of the oldest in the world was most tolerant.

Six separate FIRs have been lodged against Zubair in Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar and Hathras districts in UP.

The court has directed Zubair to furnish a bail bond of Rs 50,000 and one surety of like amount. He has been directed not to leave the country without prior permission from the court. The journalist was also ordered to ensure that his tweet or retweet, or any material on social media content is not even touching boundaries of the offence punishable under Section 153A and 295A of IPC.

The court said that there was no need for any custodial interrogation and the alleged act would come into the category of offence only when it is done with a guilty intention.

(With inputs from agencies)

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