Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of the fact-checking website Alt News, was arrested on Monday.
According to media reports, the Delhi Police arrested the journalist for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.
Another co-founder of the website, Pratik Sinha, in a tweet, said Zubair was called by a special cell of the Delhi police for investigation into a 2020 case for which he already had protection against arrest.
"However, today at around 6.45 PM we were told he has been arrested in some other FIR for which no notice was given which mandatory under law for the sections under which he has been arrested," the tweet read.
The police, however, reportedly said Zubair who joined the investigation, was arrested after having enough evidence on record.
Media reports say the journalist was arrested after Twitter user brought to the attention of the police tweets by Zubair which was deemed inimical to communal harmony.
"The said post of Mohd. Zubair containing picture and words against a particular religious community are highly provocative and done deliberately which are more than sufficient to incite hatred among people which can be detrimental for maintenance of public tranquility. On the basis of the said post above case has been registered,” news agency ANI quoted a police official as saying.
