SC directs UP police not to take action against Zubair

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh police not to take any precipitative action against fact-checking website Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair in any of the FIRs registered against him till July 20 and sought state government’s reply on Zubair’s plea seeking interim bail in all the six FIRs, quashing of the FIRs, and the setting up of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising two senior officers of the state police to investigate all the six FIRs.

Six FIRs have been registered against Zubair  in Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad and two in Hathras. The SIT set-up by the Uttar Pradesh government comprises inspector General of Police, Preetinder Singh, currently posted in the department of prisons administration and reform, and deputy inspector general of police Amit Verma.

Interdicting Uttar Pradesh police from taking any precipitative action against Zubair in all the FIRs registered against him, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud heading a bench also comprising Justice A.S. Bopanna pointing to a “vicious cycle” said that it  appears that he is being taken into custody in the other FIR, soon after he gets bail in an FIR in which he is incarcerated  under judicial custody and that the content of the FIRs appeared similar.

“Contents of all FIRs seem to be similar. What seems to be happening is, as he gets bail in one case, he is remanded in another. This vicious cycle is continuing,” said Justice Chandrachud.