High Court Amendment Boosts Zubair's Legal Battle Against FIR

The Allahabad High Court has allowed an amendment in Mohammed Zubair's petition against an FIR, which was updated with new charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. The court set a hearing for December 3 and seeks clarity on the criminal sections invoked.

The Allahabad High Court has approved a significant amendment application filed by Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair. His writ petition challenges an FIR lodged against him on October 8, which has been updated with a new charge under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), accusing him of acts that threaten India's sovereignty.

This development comes after the Gaziabad Police added the charge, prompting Zubair to seek modification in his legal filings. A two-judge bench, consisting of Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Prashant Kumar, has scheduled a hearing on December 3 to deliberate on Zubair's plea to quash the FIR, linked to a controversial video involving Dasna temple priest Yati Narsinghanand.

The initial FIR included allegations under various BNS sections, accusing Zubair of inciting enmity and defamation. Zubair contends that his actions were a lawful alert to authorities rather than incitement or defamation. He argues that sharing videos already in public domain cannot be deemed defamatory and further challenges such claims under the BNS.

(With inputs from agencies.)