Doxing Minor: HC to hear Alt News founder’s plea seeking no coercive steps

New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) ALT News Founder Mohd Zubair has moved the Delhi High Court seeking ex-parte relief that no coercive steps should be taken against the petitioner pursuant to the reported FIR registered by Delhi Police Cyber Cell.

A single judge bench presided by Justice Yogesh Khanna is likely to hear the matter later Wednesday.

After the complaint of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) over allegedly “threatening and torturing a girl child through Twitter”, the Delhi Police Cyber Cell and the Raipur Police had filed FIRs under sections of the IT Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair.

In his plea filed before the high court, Zubair states: “Two separate FIRs have been registered against the petitioner, one by Delhi Police Cyber Cell and other in Chhattisgarh. Petitioner is filing the present petition in respect of FIR in Delhi. He is in the process of challenging FIR registered in Chhattisgarh separately. The petitioner fears that he may be arrested by Delhi Police immediately, hence the present petition.”

He further states that he is a journalist and co-founder of India’s most read fact-checking website news outlet Alt News.

“The Petitioner is a dedicated citizen who through his news outlet debunks misinformation put out by individuals and by political parties without any bias. Due to the nature of his work the Petitioner is often abused, threatened and demeaned by people the website debunk and expose or their blind supporters,” the plea states further.

–IANS

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