NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police’s Cyber Cell has registered an FIR against fact-check website AltNews cofounder Mohammed Zubair for allegedly ‘threatening and torturing a girl child through Twitter”, officials said.
Zubair refuted the allegation as “an absolutely frivolous complaint”, and AltNews backed him, saying his work “hurts those who have weaponised misinformation to subvert the democracy”. The FIR was registered under provisions of the Information Technology Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) on a complaint received from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), a police officer said.
The NCPCR complaint refers to the photo of a girl and her grandfather shared by Zubair on Twitter during an online spat with the minor’s father. Though the girl’s face was blurred out in, she said she was identifiable as her grandfather’s face was recognisable.
NCPCR said it took cognisance of the complaint received under section 13 (1)) and (k) of CPCR Act, 2005, as a minor girl’s picture is seen to be circulated and posted by various Twitter handles with indecent and disgraceful remarks/comments, which seems to be a cognisable offence and requires immediate registration of an FIR.
“Look into the matter and take prompt action in respect to the Twitter handle and posts harassing, threatening and stalking the minor,” NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo said in his letter to the police. Kanoongo said he is seeks action under POCSO/relevant acts against “online threats and repeated incident of stalking of a minor on Twitter by Zubair”.
“As per the complaint, Mohammed Zubair bearing Twitter handle zoo_bear online harassing, threatening and stalking a minor girl,” he said.Zubair responded by saying, “This is an absolutely frivolous complaint. I will be responding to it legally.’