Delhi Police officer admits he informed media incorrectly about Mohammed Zubair’s bail plea | India News

NEW DELHI: Senior Delhi Police officer KPS Malhotra on Saturday admitted to incorrectly informing the media that AltNews‘ co-founder Mohammed Zubair was despatched to 14-day judicial custody over an “objectionable tweet” he had posted in 2018.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations) had mentioned earlier within the day that Zubair’s bail plea was rejected by a court docket right here, and he was despatched to judicial custody.
Nonetheless, Zubair’s lawyer Soutik Banerjee mentioned the court docket was but to pronounce its order.
“This can be very scandalous and it speaks of the standing of rule of legislation in our nation as we speak. That even earlier than the judicial Justice of the Peace has sat and pronounced the order police have leaked the order to the media,” he mentioned.
Following the allegations, Malhotra admitted to informing reporters incorrectly about Zubair’s judicial custody.
“I had a phrase with my IO (investigating officer), I misheard it resulting from noise and inadvertently the message was posted within the broadcast,” he mentioned.
Zubair was earlier booked beneath sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to trigger riot) and 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the faith of any class) of the IPC.
IPC part 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, supposed to outrage non secular emotions of any class by insulting its faith or non secular beliefs) was additionally invoked in opposition to him later.