Allahabad HC extends interim protection for Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair
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The Allahabad High Court has extended the stay on the arrest of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in connection with a case related to his social media post about Hindutva supremacist Yati Narsinghanand.
According to a Live Law report, a bench comprising Justices Siddhartha Varma and Yogendra Kumar Srivastava has granted Zubair interim protection from arrest until February 17. The case against him was registered on October 7, accusing him of promoting enmity between religious groups through his post on X (formerly Twitter).
The controversy stems from a September 29 lecture in which Narsinghanand, the priest of Dasna Devi temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, allegedly made derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad. His comments led to widespread protests by Muslim groups in several cities.
On October 3, Zubair shared a video of Narsinghanand’s speech on social media and demanded legal action against him. Following this, he was booked under charges of inciting communal disharmony.
Meanwhile, multiple FIRs have also been registered against Narsinghanand for allegedly making hate speeches targeting Muslims.
Seeking protection from arrest, Zubair moved the court, which initially granted him interim relief on December 20. During that hearing, the court observed that he was not a "dreaded criminal" and instructed him not to leave the country.
With the latest ruling, Zubair will remain protected from arrest until the next hearing on February 17, as the legal proceedings continue.