UP court denies bail to Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair in 2021 case

Lakhimpur Kheri (UP): An Uttar Pradesh court on Saturday rejected the bail petition of Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair in connection with an FIR lodged against him in 2021 for allegedly promoting enmity.

The bail application was moved before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Mohamaddi on July 11 after the court sent Zubair to 14-day judicial custody in the case.

“After hearing the arguments by the prosecution and the defense counsel, ACJM Ruchi Srivastava rejected Mohd. Zubair’s bail plea,” Senior Prosecuting Officer (SPO) SP Yadav told PTI.

A hearing on Zubair’s police remand is scheduled to be held on July 20, Yadav said.

The Lakhimpur Kheri police had served a warrant on Zubair to appear in court in connection with the FIR.

Mohammadi police station in-charge Ambar Singh had said that the case against Zubair was lodged on November 25 last year by Ashish Katiyar, a reporter for a private news channel.

“In his complaint, Katiyar had accused Zubair of misleading people through his tweet about his channel,” he said.