India's Supreme Court grants bail to journalist Mohammed Zubair
The Supreme Court said there is no justification to keep him in continued custody and subject him to endless rounds of custody. The journalist must be released by 6pm today, the SC ordered
The Indian Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to Alt News co-founder and fact-checker Mohammed Zubair in all FIRs lodged against him in Uttar Pradesh.
"No justification to keep him in continued custody and subject him to endless rounds of custody," the top court said. The journalist must be released by 6 pm today, ordered SC.
The top court also rejected the UP government's plea to stop him from tweeting.
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"It's like asking a lawyer not to argue... A person not to speak. Whatever he does, he will be responsible in law but we can't ask a journalist not to write,"the SC said.
A consolidated investigation is required, said the SC as it clubbed all the FIRs against Zubair and transferred the cases from UP to Delhi.
A special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the UP government is rendered redundant and disbanded, the top court ordered.
Zubair has been asked to move the Delhi high court for quashing of FIRs.
The order on transfer of FIRs to Delhi will be applicable to cases in other states and to any future complaints lodged against the journalist.
