The Evening Wrap: Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair’s police custody extended by four days

A Delhi court on Tuesday granted four-day police custody of fact-checking website Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair to Delhi Police’s Special Cell in a case related to an “objectionable tweet” he had posted in 2018 against a Hindu deity. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria passed the order after hearing arguments from Delhi police as well as the accused. While arguing for his custody, the Delhi Police alleged that Zubair had brought a “blank phone” for questioning, from which apps like Twitter had been deleted. The police further alleged that Zubair had threatened the police that “all material in the laptop would be deleted if anything were to happen to him”. The court also allowed the police to take Zubair to Bengaluru and recover his mobile phone and laptop from his home. The police submitted that Zubair had allegedly “edited” the photo in the tweet, to which Zubair’s counsel Vrinda Grover said the photo was not tampered with in any way and that it was a still from a 1983 film ‘Kisi Se Na Kehna’. The court dismissed this argument of Zubair’s counsel at this stage. It said the submission that the tweet in question was part of a CBFC approved film “is of no assistance to the accused at this stage”. The Delhi Police pressed for permission to seize the laptop and mobile phone of Zubair that was used when the tweet in question was posted. Grover, however, submitted that none of his tweets had been posted through the laptop and that the phone with which the 2018 tweet was posted had been stolen. Grover added that even the Delhi Police had acknowledged in court submissions that the phone they are seeking to seize had been stolen. Police had sought an extension of Zubair’s custody by five days. Earlier on Monday night, Zubair was arrested by the Delhi Police’s IFSO unit, resulting in backlash from various political leaders, journalists and social activists. ‘Absolute hypocrisy,’ say activists on Zubair’s arrest as India commits to freedom of speech at G7 meet Condemning the arrest of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, a group of activists on Tuesday said it was “absolute hypocrisy” of the government that his arrest came on a day India committed at the G7 Summit to defend democratic principles and protect the freedom of expression. Zubair was arrested by the Delhi Police on Monday for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through one of his tweets posted in 2018. His arrest came days after the Gujarat authorities arrested Teesta Setalvad on the charges of “criminal conspiracy, forgery and placing false evidence in court to frame innocent people” in the 2002 Gujarat riots. Criticising the arrests, All India Progressive Women’s Association member Kavita Krishnan alleged it was “absolute hypocrisy” of the Prime Minister to “use the Constitution of India as window dressing” while he is acting in revenge against activists and journalists who is holding his party accountable. “I expect more from leaders of world democracies and the international media. When Modi goes to an international stage, he should be asked about his treatment of journalists and activists in India. I find it wrong if he is given a free pass when he talks about democracy in India...,” she told PTI. She also referred to the treatment of India’s Muslim minority and the country’s low ranking in the press freedom index and said the international media should hold Prime Minister Narendra Modi accountable for these. Shabnam Hashmi, social activist and founder of Anhad, alleged these are times worse than the Emergency. “On the international platform, the prime minister is talking about freedom of speech and he should be ashamed of it. This is absolute hypocrisy,” Hashmi told PTI. Aakar Patel, chair of board for Amnesty International India, said the Indian authorities are targeting Zubair for his crucial work to combat the rise in fake news and disinformation and call out discrimination against minorities. “The arrest of Mohammed Zubair shows the danger facing human rights defenders in India has reached a crisis point,” Patel said in a statement. In a statement issued on Monday, leaders of the G7 grouping and its five partner countries, including India, committed to open public debate, independent and pluralistic media and the free flow of information online and offline, while guarding the freedom, independence and diversity of civil society actors. The leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said they are prepared to defend these principles and are resolved to protect the freedom of expression. Meanwhile, Opposition parties reacted sharply to Zubair’s arrest, calling out the BJP government at the Centre for its hypocrisy since the arrest came on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed the “2022 Resilient Democracies Statement” at the G7 summit, committing to “protect freedom of expression and opinion online and offline”. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that Zubair had been arrested for exposing the BJP’s hate, bigotry and lies. Gandhi tweeted: “Arresting one voice of truth will only give rise to a thousand more. The truth ALWAYS triumphs over tyranny.” At a press conference on Tuesday, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said that while perpetrators of hate were receiving political patronage, those who reported such hate were being jailed. Going a step further, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi said that there was a threat to Zubair’s life since the Delhi Police was not following established procedures. Owaisi tweeted: “He’s been arrested with no notice & in some unknown FIR. Total violation of due process. @DelhiPolice does nothing about anti-Muslim genocidal slogans but acts swiftly against “crime” of reporting hate speech and countering misinformation.” The Opposition leaders also called for Zubair’s immediate release. Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the arrest clearly showed the Modi government is “insecure and threatened by anyone who exposes its hate machine of misinformation”. The Trinamool Congress issued an official statement condemning the arrest. In a strongly-worded tweet from the party’s official handle, the TMC said, “It is much easier to cry foul when someone not from your own party is allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Arrest @NupurSharmaBJP, and show the country that the same rules apply to all. The rule of law is not for you to tamper with @BJP4India!” Tailor murdered in Udaipur, assailants make video of crime A tailor was murdered at a shop and the crime filmed by the assailants in Rajasthan’s Udaipur on Tuesday, police said. The two accused reached the victim’s shop on Tuesday afternoon under Dhan Mandi police station area, they said. One of the assailants, who was identified as Riyaz, attacked Kanhaiya Lal with a sharp-edged weapon while the other recorded the crime on his mobile phone, police said. Soon after, they circulated a video of themselves confessing to the killing on social media. Following the murder, local markets in the area were shut as the traders demanded that the accused be arrested. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has condemned the incident and appealed to people to maintain peace while assuring strict punishment for those involved in the murder. Uddhav again reaches out to rebel MLAs, says he still cares for them In yet another emotional appeal to rebel Shiv Sena MLAs stationed in Guwahati, party president and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said he still cared for them and was ready to find a way out of the present situation by talking to them personally. Meanwhile, with an eye on the power game in the State, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda in Delhi. “I appeal to all of you to come and sit in front of me and clarify all confusion from the minds of Sena workers and people. There will surely be a way out and we will do it together. Do not fall prey to anyone’s false promises,” said Mr. Thackeray in an appeal to party’s rebel MLAs. Around 39 MLAs have joined rebel leader and party’s second-in-command Eknath Shinde. The group is demanding that Mr. Thackeray quit the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) where the Sena is in alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress. The group is demanding that the Sena should form the government with the BJP. “You are stuck in Guwahati for the last few days and every day new information about you is coming out. Many of you are in touch with us and you are still a shivsainik by heart,” Mr. Thackeray said, adding that family members of many MLAs had conveyed their feelings to him and he respected those as head of the Shiv Sena. “As a family head, I reiterate that still there’s time. You will never get the honour that the Sena bestowed upon you. We can find a way out of it if you come face to face. I still care for you as Sena chief and the Sena family head. We will find out the way once we discuss it face to face,” he said. Mr. Thackeray had made a similar appeal to the MLAs a day after they left Mumbai and he even quit his official residence ‘Varsha’ and moved to his house ‘Matoshri’. To counter Mr. Thackeray’s statement that many of the MLAs were still in touch with the party, the rebel group leader Mr. Shinde challenged to name those MLAs. Throughout the day, the MLAs of the group released videos claiming that they were not in touch with any other leader and would follow Mr. Shinde. The BJP, which still has been claiming that it has nothing to do with the internal feud, has reportedly called all its MLAs and affiliated independents to Mumbai on Wednesday. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Mr. Fadnavis met with Mr. Shah and Mr. Nadda in New Delhi amid the unfolding crisis in the MVA government. According to sources in the BJP, Mr. Fadnavis, accompanied by lawyer and MP Mahesh Jethmalani and a couple of leaders first met with Mr. Shah and later called on Mr. Nadda. “Legal and political angles to the crisis in Maharashtra were discussed and the options before the party were gone over with a fine-tooth comb,” said a senior leader who did not wish to be named. Mukesh Ambani resigns from board of Reliance Jio, son Akash made chairman Mukesh Ambani has resigned from the board of his group’s telecom arm, Reliance Jio and handed over the reins of the company to elder son Akash, a step seen as succession planning by the 65-year old billionaire. In a stock exchange filing, Reliance Jio Infocomm said the company’s board at a meeting on June 27, “approved the appointment of Akash M Ambani, non-executive director, as chairman of the board of directors of the company.” This comes after his father resigned with effect from close of working hours on June 27, it said. Among other appointments, Pankaj Mohan Pawar was appointed Managing Director of the company for five years beginning June 27. Raminder Singh Gujral and KV Chowdary were appointed independent directors, it added. Iran applies to join BRICS group of emerging countries Iran has submitted an application to become a member in the group of emerging economies known as the BRICS, an Iranian official said on Monday. Iran’s membership in the BRICS group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, “would result in added values for both sides,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said separately that Argentina had also applied to join the group. Argentinian officials could not be reached for immediate comment. Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez, currently in Europe, has in recent days reiterated his desire for Argentina to join BRICS. “While the White House was thinking about what else to turn off in the world, ban or spoil, Argentina and Iran applied to join the BRICS,” Zakharova wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Russia has long been pushing to forge closer ties with Asia, South America and the Middle East, but it has intensified its efforts recently to weather sanctions imposed by Europe, the United States and other countries over its invasion on Ukraine. On Monday, the United States and other Western nations pledged unwavering support for Ukraine after 28 civilians were killed in several Russian attacks, including a missile strike on a crowded shopping centre. Russia denies targeting civilians in what it calls is a “special military operation” to disarm Ukraine and protect it from fascists. Kyiv and its allies in the West say the war is an unprovoked act of aggression. In Brief Four persons, including three Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) employees, died when a Pawan Hans helicopter with two pilots and seven others onboard fell into the Arabian Sea about 50 nautical miles from the Mumbai coast. The helicopter managed to stay afloat with the help of the attached floaters for some time, helping rescuers pull out all the nine people, a company official said. Four of them were unconscious and were airlifted in a Navy copper to a hospital in Mumbai, where they were declared dead, he added. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow [logo] The Evening Wrap 28 JUNE 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Alt News co-founder Zubair’s police custody extended by four days  A Delhi court on Tuesday [granted four-day police custody of fact-checking website Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair]( to Delhi Police’s Special Cell in a case related to an “objectionable tweet” he had posted in 2018 against a Hindu deity. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria passed the order after hearing arguments from Delhi police as well as the accused. While arguing for his custody, the Delhi Police alleged that Zubair had brought a “blank phone” for questioning, from which apps like Twitter had been deleted. The police further alleged that Zubair had threatened the police that “all material in the laptop would be deleted if anything were to happen to him”. [Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair sits in a police vehicle after he was produced in a court in New Delhi on June 28, 2022. ] The court also allowed the police to take Zubair to Bengaluru and recover his mobile phone and laptop from his home. The police submitted that Zubair had allegedly “edited” the photo in the tweet, to which Zubair’s counsel Vrinda Grover said the photo was not tampered with in any way and that it was a still from a 1983 film ‘Kisi Se Na Kehna’. The court dismissed this argument of Zubair’s counsel at this stage. It said the submission that the tweet in question was part of a CBFC approved film “is of no assistance to the accused at this stage”. The Delhi Police pressed for permission to seize the laptop and mobile phone of Zubair that was used when the tweet in question was posted. Grover, however, submitted that none of his tweets had been posted through the laptop and that the phone with which the 2018 tweet was posted had been stolen. Grover added that even the Delhi Police had acknowledged in court submissions that the phone they are seeking to seize had been stolen. Police had sought an extension of Zubair’s custody by five days. Earlier on Monday night, Zubair was arrested by the Delhi Police’s IFSO unit, resulting in backlash from various political leaders, journalists and social activists. ‘Absolute hypocrisy,’ say activists on Zubair’s arrest as India commits to freedom of speech at G7 meet Condemning the arrest of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, [a group of activists on Tuesday said it was “absolute hypocrisy” of the government]( that his arrest came on a day India committed at the G7 Summit to defend democratic principles and protect the freedom of expression. Zubair was arrested by the Delhi Police on Monday for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through one of his tweets posted in 2018. His arrest came days after the Gujarat authorities arrested Teesta Setalvad on the charges of “criminal conspiracy, forgery and placing false evidence in court to frame innocent people” in the 2002 Gujarat riots. Criticising the arrests, All India Progressive Women’s Association member Kavita Krishnan alleged it was “absolute hypocrisy” of the Prime Minister to “use the Constitution of India as window dressing” while he is acting in revenge against activists and journalists who is holding his party accountable. “I expect more from leaders of world democracies and the international media. When Modi goes to an international stage, he should be asked about his treatment of journalists and activists in India. I find it wrong if he is given a free pass when he talks about democracy in India...,” she told PTI. She also referred to the treatment of India’s Muslim minority and the country’s low ranking in the press freedom index and said the international media should hold Prime Minister Narendra Modi accountable for these. Shabnam Hashmi, social activist and founder of Anhad, alleged these are times worse than the Emergency. “On the international platform, the prime minister is talking about freedom of speech and he should be ashamed of it. This is absolute hypocrisy,” Hashmi told PTI. Aakar Patel, chair of board for Amnesty International India, said the Indian authorities are targeting Zubair for his crucial work to combat the rise in fake news and disinformation and call out discrimination against minorities. “The arrest of Mohammed Zubair shows the danger facing human rights defenders in India has reached a crisis point,” Patel said in a statement. In a statement issued on Monday, leaders of the G7 grouping and its five partner countries, including India, committed to open public debate, independent and pluralistic media and the free flow of information online and offline, while guarding the freedom, independence and diversity of civil society actors. The leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said they are prepared to defend these principles and are resolved to protect the freedom of expression. Meanwhile, Opposition parties reacted sharply to Zubair’s arrest, calling out the BJP government at the Centre for its hypocrisy since the arrest came on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed the “2022 Resilient Democracies Statement” at the G7 summit, committing to “protect freedom of expression and opinion online and offline”. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that Zubair had been arrested for exposing the BJP’s hate, bigotry and lies. Gandhi tweeted: “Arresting one voice of truth will only give rise to a thousand more. The truth ALWAYS triumphs over tyranny.” At a press conference on Tuesday, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said that while perpetrators of hate were receiving political patronage, those who reported such hate were being jailed. Going a step further, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi said that there was a threat to Zubair’s life since the Delhi Police was not following established procedures. Owaisi tweeted: “He’s been arrested with no notice & in some unknown FIR. Total violation of due process. @DelhiPolice does nothing about anti-Muslim genocidal slogans but acts swiftly against “crime” of reporting hate speech and countering misinformation.” The Opposition leaders also called for Zubair’s immediate release. Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the arrest clearly showed the Modi government is “insecure and threatened by anyone who exposes its hate machine of misinformation”. The Trinamool Congress issued an official statement condemning the arrest. In a strongly-worded tweet from the party’s official handle, the TMC said, “It is much easier to cry foul when someone not from your own party is allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Arrest @NupurSharmaBJP, and show the country that the same rules apply to all. The rule of law is not for you to tamper with @BJP4India!” Tailor murdered in Udaipur, assailants make video of crime A [tailor was murdered at a shop and the crime filmed by the assailants in Rajasthan’s Udaipur]( on Tuesday, police said. The two accused reached the victim’s shop on Tuesday afternoon under Dhan Mandi police station area, they said. [Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor at his shop before he was attacked by an assailant with a sharp weapon while the other filmed the crime, in Udaipur on June 28, 2022.] One of the assailants, who was identified as Riyaz, attacked Kanhaiya Lal with a sharp-edged weapon while the other recorded the crime on his mobile phone, police said. Soon after, they circulated a video of themselves confessing to the killing on social media. Following the murder, local markets in the area were shut as the traders demanded that the accused be arrested. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has condemned the incident and appealed to people to maintain peace while assuring strict punishment for those involved in the murder. Uddhav again reaches out to rebel MLAs, says he still cares for them In yet another emotional appeal to rebel Shiv Sena MLAs stationed in Guwahati, party president and Maharashtra Chief Minister [Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said he still cared for them and was ready to find a way out of the present situation]( by talking to them personally. Meanwhile, with an eye on the power game in the State, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda in Delhi. “I appeal to all of you to come and sit in front of me and clarify all confusion from the minds of Sena workers and people. There will surely be a way out and we will do it together. Do not fall prey to anyone’s false promises,” said Mr. Thackeray in an appeal to party’s rebel MLAs. Around 39 MLAs have joined rebel leader and party’s second-in-command Eknath Shinde. The group is demanding that Mr. Thackeray quit the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) where the Sena is in alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress. The group is demanding that the Sena should form the government with the BJP. “You are stuck in Guwahati for the last few days and every day new information about you is coming out. Many of you are in touch with us and you are still a shivsainik by heart,” Mr. Thackeray said, adding that family members of many MLAs had conveyed their feelings to him and he respected those as head of the Shiv Sena. “As a family head, I reiterate that still there’s time. You will never get the honour that the Sena bestowed upon you. We can find a way out of it if you come face to face. I still care for you as Sena chief and the Sena family head. We will find out the way once we discuss it face to face,” he said. Mr. Thackeray had made a similar appeal to the MLAs a day after they left Mumbai and he even quit his official residence ‘Varsha’ and moved to his house ‘Matoshri’. To counter Mr. Thackeray’s statement that many of the MLAs were still in touch with the party, the rebel group leader [Mr. Shinde challenged to name those MLAs](. Throughout the day, the MLAs of the group released videos claiming that they were not in touch with any other leader and would follow Mr. Shinde. The BJP, which still has been claiming that it has nothing to do with the internal feud, has reportedly called all its MLAs and affiliated independents to Mumbai on Wednesday. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Mr. Fadnavis met with Mr. Shah and Mr. Nadda in New Delhi amid the unfolding crisis in the MVA government. According to sources in the BJP, Mr. Fadnavis, accompanied by lawyer and MP Mahesh Jethmalani and a couple of leaders first met with Mr. Shah and later called on Mr. Nadda. “Legal and political angles to the crisis in Maharashtra were discussed and the options before the party were gone over with a fine-tooth comb,” said a senior leader who did not wish to be named. Mukesh Ambani resigns from board of Reliance Jio, son Akash made chairman [Mukesh Ambani has resigned from the board of his group’s telecom arm, Reliance Jio and handed over the reins of the company to elder son Akash]( a step seen as succession planning by the 65-year old billionaire. In a stock exchange filing, Reliance Jio Infocomm said the company’s board at a meeting on June 27, “approved the appointment of Akash M Ambani, non-executive director, as chairman of the board of directors of the company.” This comes after his father resigned with effect from close of working hours on June 27, it said. Among other appointments, Pankaj Mohan Pawar was appointed Managing Director of the company for five years beginning June 27. Raminder Singh Gujral and KV Chowdary were appointed independent directors, it added. Iran applies to join BRICS group of emerging countries [Iran has submitted an application]( to become a member in the group of emerging economies known as the BRICS, an Iranian official said on Monday. Iran’s membership in the BRICS group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, “would result in added values for both sides,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said separately that Argentina had also applied to join the group. Argentinian officials could not be reached for immediate comment. Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez, currently in Europe, has in recent days reiterated his desire for Argentina to join BRICS. “While the White House was thinking about what else to turn off in the world, ban or spoil, Argentina and Iran applied to join the BRICS,” Zakharova wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Russia has long been pushing to forge closer ties with Asia, South America and the Middle East, but it has intensified its efforts recently to weather sanctions imposed by Europe, the United States and other countries over its invasion on Ukraine. On Monday, the United States and other Western nations pledged unwavering support for Ukraine after 28 civilians were killed in several Russian attacks, including a missile strike on a crowded shopping centre. Russia denies targeting civilians in what it calls is a “special military operation” to disarm Ukraine and protect it from fascists. Kyiv and its allies in the West say the war is an unprovoked act of aggression. In Brief [Four persons, including three Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) employees, died]( when a Pawan Hans helicopter with two pilots and seven others onboard fell into the Arabian Sea about 50 nautical miles from the Mumbai coast. The helicopter managed to stay afloat with the help of the attached floaters for some time, helping rescuers pull out all the nine people, a company official said. Four of them were unconscious and were airlifted in a Navy copper to a hospital in Mumbai, where they were declared dead, he added. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow  Today’s Top Picks [[Eoin Morgan retires, draws curtains on glorious international career] Eoin Morgan retires, draws curtains on glorious international career]( [[Ranji Trophy should be the main arena in Indian cricket] Ranji Trophy should be the main arena in Indian cricket]( [[Watch | Who is Droupadi Murmu?] Watch | Who is Droupadi Murmu?]( [[Data | Defect, contest, win, repeat: BJP fielded most turncoat candidates in last decade] Data | Defect, contest, win, repeat: BJP fielded most turncoat candidates in last decade]( Copyright @ 2022, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please [try here]( If you do not wish to receive such emails [go here](