The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the police what action it took against a Twitter user who posted an offensive tweet about Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in August 2020, Live Law reported.

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani told the police to file a status report in six weeks.

“You went hammer and tongs against him [Zubair],” the judge noted. “But the case has now ended in a whimper, as it should have... because there was no evidence. But what action have you taken against this man? [the person who posted the allegedly offensive tweet].”

The lawyer for the police told the court that it was conscious of the Supreme Court’s directions that action should be taken in hate speech without waiting for a complaint. The counsel said that appropriate action would be taken in the case, according to PTI.

The High Court posted the case for further hearing on September 14.

The case pertains to a tweet Zubair had posted in August 2020 in which he had shared the profile picture of a Twitter user asking if it was appropriate for him to use derogatory language in replies while using the photo of his granddaughter. Zubair had blurred the profile picture in his tweet.

The Delhi Police had registered a first information report against the journalist after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights filed a complaint accusing him of cyber sexual harassment. However, on January 5, police told the High Court that no criminality was found against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The High Court on Friday sought to know whether any action was against the person who used derogatory language against Zubair.

Cases against Zubair

The Alt News co-founder is facing six cases in Uttar Pradesh and one case in Delhi in connection with allegations of promoting enmity between groups and hurting religious sentiments.

Zubair was arrested on June 27 by a cyber unit of the Delhi Police. He got bail in the case on July 15 but he could not be released on account of the cases filed by the Uttar Pradesh police.

He was finally granted bail in all cases by the Supreme Court and walked free on July 20.