NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Tuesday contended before the Delhi High Court the submission of police that no cognizable offence was made out against fact-check website Alt News co-founder Mohd Zubair, facing prosecution in a case of allegedly threatening and torturing a minor girl on social media, was “incorrect”.
The NCPCR claimed the Delhi Police’s stand indicates the “casual attitude” of the authorities and urged the high court to direct the police to conduct a thorough investigation in the case and complete it on priority.
The case, which was listed for hearing on Tuesday, will now be heard on December 7. The Delhi Police had on August 9, 2020 registered an FIR against Zubair for alleged offences under the Information Technology Act for allegedly threatening and torturing a girl child on Twitter on a complaint received from the NCPCR.
The NCPCR complaint referred to the photo of a girl and her father shared by Zubair on Twitter during an online spat with the minor’s father. The child rights body said the information provided by police in its May status report clearly shows that petitioner Zubair has been trying to evade the investigation and was not fully cooperating.
“The malafide intention of the petitioner to conceal the facts is evident which is seen to be causing a serious delay in the investigation of this case. The submission made by the Delhi Police as to no cognisable offence being made out against the petitioner is also incorrect and indicates the casual attitude of the police in this case,” it said in the affidavit.
NCPCR said retweeting the girl’s picture contributed to disclosure of her identity through her father and seriously jeopardised her safety and security and also exposed her to harassment on social media platform where disgraceful comments were published about her by the users. “The comments made on the picture of the minor girl also included comments which were in the nature of sexual harassment and was seen to be in violation of the provisions of POCSO Act, IPC and IT Act,” it said.