Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan to remain in jail despite SC’s bail: Report
On Monday, the court of additional district and sessions judge Anurodh Mishra released Kappan following orders of the Supreme Court that had granted him bail on September 9.
Siddique Kappan, a Kerala-based journalist who the Supreme Court recently granted bail, will continue to remain in a jail in Lucknow as a case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against him is still pending, reported news agency PTI.
On Monday, the court of additional district and sessions judge Anurodh Mishra released Kappan following orders of the Supreme Court that had granted him bail on September 9.
Kappan was lodged in the jail after his arrest in October 2020 while he was on his way to Hathras in Uttar Pradesh where a Dalit woman had died after allegedly being raped.
“Kappan will continue to remain in jail as a case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate is still pending,” PTI quoted DG jail PRO Santosh Verma as saying.
While ordering his release, Mishra had directed Kappan to furnish two sureties of ₹1 lakh each and a personal bond of the same amount. The judge also sought an undertaking from the journalist that he would not breach the conditions imposed on him by the apex court.
On September 9, a division bench of Chief Justice of India Justice UU Lalit and Justice S Ravindra Bhat had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to produce Kappan before the trial court within three days for release on bail, subject to conditions that would ensure his presence in the trial in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The court also pointed out that observations made in this order (bail order) will have no effect on the trial court’s proceedings in this case.
On October 5, 2020, the UP Police had arrested Kappan and three others accompanying him – Athikur Rehman, Alam and Masood – under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Information Technology Act while they were on way to Hathras to report on a Dalit woman who was allegedly gang-raped on September 14, 2020.
