New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in all seven FIRs registered against him in Uttar Pradesh.
Zubair will be released from jail now as he has already been granted regular bail in another case registered against him by Delhi Police.
A three-judge Bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud asked him to furnish a personal bond of Rs 20,000 before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Patiala House courts in the national capital. It directed the Tihar Jail superintendent to release him by 6pm.
The Bench ordered clubbing of all seven FIRs registered against him in Uttar Pradesh with the one registered in Delhi and said the Special Cell of Delhi Police would conduct the investigation.
The FIRs in UP were registered against Zubair at Hathras, Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur and Chandauli.
The top court also ordered disbanding of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) by Uttar Pradesh Police.
Noting that the subject matter of all FIRs was the same tweets put out by the accused, the Bench said there was no reason to deprive him of his personal liberty.
All FIRs registered by Uttar Pradesh Police shall stand transferred to the Special Cell of Delhi Police. It said any future FIR registered against him would also get transferred to Delhi Police.
It also extended the benefit of interim bail to him in all such cases.
It turned down Uttar Pradesh Additional Advocate General Garima Prasad’s request to extend its earlier order to restrain him from tweeting anything, saying, “How can you ask a journalist not to tweet?”
The Bench had on Monday restrained Uttar Pradesh Police from taking any precipitative steps against Zubair without its permission in FIRs registered against him in the state till July 20.
Zubair was arrested by Delhi Police on June 27 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through his tweets. He has also been accused of violating FCRA provisions and destruction of evidence.