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Synopsis

The Delhi High Court Friday asked the Delhi police as to what action it has taken against a Twitter user for his alleged offensive tweet about fact-checking website Alt-News co-founder Mohammad Zubair in 2020, prompting an FIR under the POCSO Act to be filed against him.

The bench of Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani said, “You went hammer and tongs against him (Zubair). But the case has now ended in a whimper, as it should have... because there was no evidence. But what action have you (police) taken against this man?”

The single-judge bench directed the Delhi Police to file a status report on the action taken against the person who had posted the tweet against Zubair.

“Let a status report be filed within six weeks with a copy to the opposite counsel,” the court said. Accordingly, the court listed the matter for further hearing on September 14.

Notably, in March, Justice Bambhani said, "I want to see if the Delhi Police found no criminality in Zubair's tweet; what action they have taken against the person who put out the offensive tweets”.

“What did you do about this gentleman called Jagjit Singh? My question is- if you found nothing against Zubair, what did you do about the person who put out those offensive tweets,” Justice Bhambhani had inquired the Delhi Police.

Furthermore, the single-judge bench had remarked, "Somebody starts a storm (Singh) and you (Delhi Police) just say this person's (Zubair's) name is not in the chargesheet. I want to see if things are coming to a logical closure”.

The court had also sought the status of the FIR registered against Zubair in Chhattisgarh.

The present plea relates to a prayer seeking quashing of the FIR registered against Zubair for allegedly torturing and harassing a minor girl on Twitter.

 Case Title: Mohammed Zubair Vs. State of GNCT & Ors.