The Ghaziabad police informed the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday that an FIR against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair includes charges of “endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India,” under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The investigating officer conveyed this information during a court hearing of Zubair’s plea to quash the FIR. The case stems from Zubair sharing a video clip of Yati Narsinghanand, a priest associated with the Dasna Devi Temple in Ghaziabad. The FIR was filed following a complaint from Udita Tyagi, the general secretary of the Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Foundation and an associate of the priest.
Tyagi accused Zubair of posting an older video of Narsinghanand to incite violence against him, particularly among the Muslim community. The controversy comes in the wake of Narsinghanand’s alleged inflammatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad at a public event in Ghaziabad on September 29. During the event, he reportedly encouraged participants to burn effigies of the Prophet, sparking outrage and protests across Uttar Pradesh, with demands for action against the priest.
Zubair, however, has denied the allegations, asserting that his post aimed to highlight Narsinghanand’s history of incendiary remarks targeting various groups, including women and political figures. In his plea, Zubair argued that his intent was to expose hate speech rather than incite violence.
This FIR is the latest in a series of legal actions against Zubair. Notably, he was arrested in June 2022 for a social media post he made in 2018. Alt News, the fact-checking organization he co-founded, has expressed solidarity with him, criticizing what they call “relentless legal intimidation” by the authorities.
In a statement, Alt News reaffirmed its commitment to countering misinformation and holding those in power accountable, describing the FIR and associated proceedings as a misuse of state power to silence dissent. “Despite this harassment, we remain unwavering in our dedication to truth and accountability in public discourse,” the statement concluded.
