Mohammed Zubair, an Indian fact-checker and journalist, was set to face the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday after Uttar Pradesh police sought his arrest, accusing him of "endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India."
The case marks another legal hurdle for Zubair, co-founder of the fact-checking platform AltNews, two years after the Supreme Court ordered his release from prison.
The latest charge against Zubair, which is non-bailable, carries severe consequences. A conviction could result in a minimum sentence of seven years in jail or, in extreme cases, life imprisonment.
Zubair, however, denies all allegations, telling the BBC: "I feel I’m being targeted because of the work I do."
Zubair has earned a reputation for calling out hate speech and misinformation, which has often placed him at odds with India’s political establishment.
His latest legal troubles stem from an October 3 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which he shared a video showing Yati Narsinghanand, a controversial Hindu priest, making inflammatory remarks against the Prophet Muhammad.
The comments sparked outrage among Muslim communities, leading to protests outside the Dasna Devi temple, where Narsinghanand presides.
Narsinghanand, 60, has been a repeat figure in India's headlines for his incendiary statements and calls for violence against Muslims. He was previously jailed for a month in 2022 after making Islamophobic and misogynistic comments. Despite reports that he had been arrested following Zubair's post, police later denied taking any action against the priest.
However, the protest sparked by Zubair’s post led to clashes in which 10 people were arrested for allegedly throwing stones. In response, supporters of Narsinghanand surrounded a local police station, demanding Zubair's arrest.
Shortly after, Uditya Tyagi, a politician from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and an aide of Narsinghanand, filed a complaint against Zubair.
Initially, Zubair faced charges of promoting enmity between religious groups, defamation, and providing false evidence.
However, last week, police escalated the case by adding Section 152 of India's new legal code, accusing him of endangering national unity.
Legal experts suggest the new charge provides the grounds for Zubair's arrest. His lawyer has applied for interim bail and requested the dismissal of the case.
Zubair, in his defence, pointed out that several journalists and media channels had shared the video before him, yet no action was taken against them.
Amnesty International India condemned the case as part of a broader trend of using legal harassment to silence human rights defenders and journalists.
The Press Club of India echoed these concerns, calling for the immediate withdrawal of the charges against Zubair.
The journalist’s 2022 arrest had previously drawn widespread criticism, including from the United Nations Secretary-General's office.