Alleged retaliation? UP Police books Alt News' Zubair for disclosing Muslim boy's identity
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Hyderabad: After registering bailable charges against the teacher who instructed fellow students to slap a Muslim boy, downplaying the seriousness of the case, the Muzaffarnagar Police have now registered a case against Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of Alt News, on charges of disclosing the identity of the seven-year-old Muslim boy.
The case against Zubair seems to reflect a balancing act by the UP police, who have also stated that the teacher did not have malicious intentions in her instructions to have the Muslim boy slapped.
The incident unfolded when the young boy was slapped by his classmates under the instructions of their teacher at Neha Public School in Muzaffarnagar.
The video of the incident went viral on various social media platforms, shedding light on the distressing event that took place within the school premises. The video captured the teacher, identified as Tripta Tyagi, urging the classmates to physically harm the young boy.
Tyagi's actions were met with shock and condemnation, leading to her being charged under Sections 323 and 504 of the Indian Penal Code, which relate to causing hurt and intentional insult, respectively.
However, the focus has now turned towards Zubair, who has been booked under Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act. This particular section of the law aims to safeguard the identities of child victims and witnesses of crimes.
The police allege that Zubair shared the video on social media, thus revealing the identity of the young victim. This action could lead to a sentence of up to six months in jail or a fine of up to Rs 2 lakh.
Zubair has responded to the accusations, claiming that he feels unfairly singled out in this situation. He has stated that while he is the only one named in the FIR, there were several other individuals and media outlets that also shared the video.
Zubair further noted that he had removed the video from his social media accounts after the National Commission for Protection Of Child Rights chief, Priyank Kanoongo, requested that users refrain from sharing the clip.
