The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended “until further orders” the interim bail granted on July 8 to AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair relating to the FIR registered in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, on the charge of hurting Hindu sentiments.
Zubair will, however, continue to remain in jail until he gets regular bail in cases lodged against him in Delhi and Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, too.
The bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and A.S. Bopanna provided the latest relief after the Uttar Pradesh government sought an adjournment to file a counter affidavit against Zubair’s plea challenging the Sitapur FIR and Allahabad High Court’s refusal to quash it.
“The counter affidavit shall be filed within a period of four weeks. Rejoinder if any be filed within a period of two weeks thereafter. The interim bail… shall continue to remain in operation, pending further orders,” the court said.
It ordered listing of Zubair’s special leave petition on September 7 “for final disposal”.
On July 8, a vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and J.K. Maheshwari had granted five days’ interim bail to Zubair in the Sitapur case and posted the matter for Tuesday before a regular bench.
