The Allahabad High Court is scheduled to hear Mohammed Zubair’s petition on December 3, following the inclusion of new charges in the FIR filed against the Alt News journalist. The investigating officer informed the court that the charges under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India, were added to the existing FIR.
Zubair had moved the High Court seeking protection from arrest after the Ghaziabad Police registered the FIR in response to a complaint filed by supporters of Yati Narsinghanand, a controversial priest from the Dasna Devi Temple, over a tweet posted by Zubair on X (formerly Twitter). Zubair’s tweet criticized Narsinghanand’s allegedly hateful remarks against Prophet Muhammad.
The High Court had earlier directed the investigating officer to submit an affidavit outlining the specific charges under which Zubair had been implicated. On November 25, the court allowed the addition of two new sections: Section 66 of the Information Technology Act and Section 152 (Acts endangering sovereignty unity and integrity of India) of the BNS. The case has now been scheduled for the next hearing on December 3.
Zubair’s tweet, which called Narsinghanand’s speech “derogatory and hateful,” led to multiple FIRs being filed against Narsinghanand in various states, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana, for inciting communal violence and insulting religious sentiments. Narsinghanand, who has faced similar charges in the past, is known for making inflammatory statements, and his aides allege that he was taken into custody by the police, though the Ghaziabad Police denies this.
The FIR against Zubair also stems from a complaint by Dr. Udita Tyagi, General Secretary of the Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Foundation, who accused Zubair of sharing an old video clip of Narsinghanand to incite violence. Tyagi also blamed Zubair, along with others, for allegedly triggering violent protests at Dasna Devi Temple.
In his petition, Zubair argued that his tweet was part of his effort to expose Narsinghanand’s repeated hate speeches and derogatory comments about women and politicians. He also claimed that Tyagi admitted to filing the FIR as a “publicity stunt,” highlighting what he believes is a malicious attempt to stop him from continuing his work of revealing Narsinghanand’s alleged criminal activities.
