Zubair, who was previously granted bail by the Supreme Court, maintains his innocence and asserts that he is being targeted for exposing hate speech. He recently highlighted inflammatory remarks made by Yati Narsinghanand, a priest known for inciting violence against Muslims, which ignited protests and led to police complaints against both Zubair and Narsinghanand.

In a movement that critics call a “witch-hunt,” Zubair suggests the police are acting on complaints filed by political allies of the priest rather than upholding the law. Meanwhile, rights organizations have decried the escalation of charges against him, seeing it as a misuse of laws historically used to suppress dissent and breach civil liberties.

Zubair's case has drawn international attention, echoing broader concerns about press freedom in India, which ranks low on global indices. In a country where journalists face increasing intimidation and threats, Zubair openly states the current environment poses substantial risks for those uncovering governmental and societal issues. Many are calling for the withdrawal of charges against him, framing the developments as a concerning trend toward silencing critical voices in the media landscape.

This legal saga unfolds within a wider narrative about the state of journalism in India, colorfully portrayed as both a battle for free speech and an alarming insight into the law enforcement mechanisms supporting a government in increasingly tenuous control of public discourse.