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Delhi police have arrested the Muslim co-founder of a fact-checking web site, accusing him of insulting spiritual beliefs on Twitter, a community of digital media organisations mentioned, condemning it as an attempt to harass him for his journalism.
Mohammed Zubair, who co-founded Alt Information and commonly tweets on rising marginalisation of the Muslim minority within the nation, was arrested below two sections of a legislation associated to sustaining spiritual concord, mentioned the DIGIPUB affiliation.
Alt Information’s different co-founder, Pratik Sinha, mentioned on Twitter no discover was given to Zubair earlier than his arrest.
“He’s at the moment detained inside a police bus in Burari for greater than an hour,” Sinha mentioned, referring to a Delhi neighbourhood the place Zubair was to be produced earlier than a Justice of the Peace at his residence to authorise the journalist’s remand.
A Delhi police spokesperson didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. Calls to their workplace telephone went unanswered.
Reuters companion ANI reported, citing Delhi police sources, that Zubair was arrested primarily based on a criticism from a Twitter account that mentioned he insulted Hindus in a 2018 submit commenting on the renaming of a resort after the Hindu monkey god Hanuman.
Journalists demanded his speedy launch.
“Journalist Zubair who routinely busted pretend information, uncovered the hate equipment in India has simply been arrested,” mentioned Rana Ayyub, one other Muslim journalist who usually invitations the wrath of Hindu hardliners. “The nation is punishing those that reported, documented the decline.”
Ten human rights organisations mentioned on World Press Freedom Day final month that Indian authorities have been more and more choosing on journalists and on-line critics for his or her criticism of presidency insurance policies and practices, together with by prosecuting them below counter-terrorism and sedition legal guidelines.
Authorities officers deny the costs.
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