Two FIRs filed against AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair for allegedly doxing minor girl
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Two first information reports have been lodged against AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair in Delhi and Raipur under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act for the alleged online harassment and torture of a minor girl, The Indian Express reported on Saturday. The police’s action came after it received a complaint from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
Two other Twitter users, with the usernames de_real_mask and syedsarwar20, have also been named in the FIRs, confirmed NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo. He added that Twitter India has been given an additional time of 10 days to provide them with relevant information. Twitter’s representatives have already appeared before the commission on Friday.
On August 6, Zubair had an online spat with a Twitter user. The AltNews co-founder had tweeted a photo of the minor girl, with her face blurred out, during the argument. Zubair’s tweet came under heavy criticism from social media users who accused him of using a child to get back at a critic. The other two handles had commented on the post.
On August 8, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights took note of the matter. The commission had acted on a complaint filed by Forum for Indigenous Rights- North-East India. The commission then wrote to the Delhi deputy commissioner of police and the nodal cyber cell officer, seeking action against Zubair for “stalking of a minor girl on Twitter”.
Raipur Superintendent of Police Ajay Yadav said prima facie there were some comments that could be classified as harassment. “We have registered the FIR against the three Twitter handles but investigation work is still going on,” he added.
Zubair called the complaint “absolutely frivolous”. “I will be responding to it legally,” he told The Indian Express.
According to the ATR received in @NCPCR_ ,an FIR has been lodged against the alleged persons for threatening and torturing a girl child on @Twitter.
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) September 5, 2020
As per the request made by @TwitterIndia an additional time of 10 days has been provided to them to provide relevant information. pic.twitter.com/RLhXvzBUs8
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
