SC agrees to hear fact-checker Mohd Zubair's plea on quashing of 6 FIRs

Supreme Court on Monday agreed to examine Alt News co-founder and fact-checker Mohammed Zubair's petition seeking an urgent hearing on quashing of six first information reports (FIRs) lodged against him in several districts of Uttar Pradesh for allegedly outraging religious feelings. Justice DY Chandrachud is expected to hear the matter around 3pm.

Two cases against the journalist were registered in Hathras, while one each was lodged in Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur.

Earlier in the day, a bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana took note of the submissions made by Zubair's lawyer Vrinda Grover that the petitioner, a fact checker and journalist, had been facing a slew of FIRs and his plea needed an urgent hearing.

Zubair was arrested last month by the Delhi Police in connection with a tweet he had posted in 2018 on a Hindu deity. He was granted bail in the case on Friday with the court observing that "the voice of dissent is necessary for a healthy democracy".