The Allahabad High Court has extended its interim order protecting Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair from arrest until February 10, 2024, in connection with a First Information Report (FIR) filed against him over a social media post involving controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand. A bench comprising Justices Siddhartha Varma and Yogendra Kumar Srivastava adjourned the case, though the exact reason for the adjournment remains unclear. The court’s written order is awaited, and updates will follow once it is publicly available.
Background of the Case
The legal battle stems from an FIR lodged by the Ghaziabad Police in October 2024, following a complaint by Dr. Udita Tyagi, general secretary of the Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Trust. The FIR accuses Zubair of promoting religious enmity through an October 3 X (formerly Twitter) post. In the post, Zubair shared a video thread allegedly showing Yati Narsinghanand, the head priest of Dasna Devi Temple, making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad. Zubair tagged the Uttar Pradesh Police, questioning their inaction against the priest and labeling Narsinghanand’s speech as “inflammatory.”
Dr. Tyagi’s complaint alleges that Zubair shared “edited and outdated clips” to provoke hostility against Narsinghanand, claiming the posts were designed to incite radical sentiments.
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Court Proceedings and Zubair’s Defense
On December 20, 2023, the Allahabad High Court initially stayed Zubair’s arrest until January 6, 2024, orally remarking that he is “not a dreaded criminal.” The stay was later extended to February 10 after the state government sought additional time to review documents submitted by Zubair’s legal team.
Zubair, in his petition challenging the FIR, argues that his post was a lawful exercise of free speech. He emphasized that his intent was to alert authorities about Narsinghanand’s alleged hate speech, not to incite violence.
“My post did not call for harm against anyone. It sought accountability under existing laws,”
Zubair’s defense stated. He further highlighted that multiple media outlets and social media accounts had reported on Narsinghanand’s remarks, asserting his post was no different.
State’s Position: The Uttar Pradesh government contends that Zubair’s post could disrupt communal harmony. The Ghaziabad Police claim the edited videos misrepresented Narsinghanand’s statements, potentially stoking religious tensions.
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Zubair’s Counter: His legal team maintains that flagging hate speech to law enforcement is protected under free speech rights.
“Criticizing a public figure’s remarks and demanding legal action cannot equate to promoting enmity,” they argued.
The case will resume after February 10, when the court reviews the state’s findings on Zubair’s rejoinder. Until then, Zubair remains protected from arrest.
