Mohammed Zubair Not A Journalist, He Is Paid For Each 'Malicious' Tweet: UP Police Tells Supreme Court
The Bench of Justice D. Y. Chandrachud, Justice Surya Kant and Justice A. S. Bopanna is hearing Mohammed Zubair's plea challenging the FIRs registered against him in Uttar Pradesh.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Garima Prashad appearing for the state of Uttar Pradesh told the Court that Zubair though is being repeatedly referred to as a journalist, he is not one.
"He is being paid. Every time he makes these malicious tweets, he gets more money. He admitted that he has got more than two crores. He could collect 12 lakhs within three days", the Senior Counsel said.
"There is a person who instead of informing the police of any such illegal speech, hate speech etc. has been taking advantage of videos and speeches which have the potential to create a communal divide. He has been repeatedly doing that. Only after the tweet has been made and violence has happed have we registered the case", she argued.
"He has not even spared a 10-year-old girl and an FIR has been registered under the POCSO Act", AAG Garima Prasad argued.
"The entire exercise of the SIT there is no viciousness against the petitioner. The only intention is to maintain peace and harmony", she said about the SIT constituted by the state government.
If at all they have any grievance against the investigation, they can approach local courts and Your Lordships will relegate them to the local courts, she said.
Advocate Vrinda Grover appeared for Zubair and has completed her arguments. Garima Prasad was making her submissions when the Bench broke for lunch. The Court expected to pronounce the judgment at 2 pm.
Zubair has approached the Supreme Court seeking quashing of 6 FIRs that have been registered against him in Uttar Pradesh. The plea challenges the FIRs filed against him at Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar and two FIRs that have been filed in Hathras. Zubair has also challenged the SIT that has been constituted by the Uttar Pradesh Police. Zubair has made an alternative prayer for the FIRs to be clubbed together with the FIR filed in Delhi.