SC grants bail to Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan
Journalist Siddique Kappan was arrested in October 2020 on his way to Hathras in Uttar Pradesh where a Dalit woman had died after allegedly being gang-raped.
Chief Justice of India UU Lalit on Friday said the Supreme Court will grant bail to journalist Siddique Kappan. The journalist from Kerala was arrested in October 2020 under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) when he was on his way to Hathras in Uttar Pradesh where a Dalit woman had died after allegedly being gang-raped.
The journalist will be released after being produced before the trial court in three days. The top court asked Kappan to be in Delhi for the next six weeks and mark his presence with the local police station at Nizamuddin every week. Some other conditions have also been imposed.
After six weeks, the journalist will be allowed to travel to Mallapuram in Kerala where he shall report each week to the local police station. He has to deposit his passport before release and has been restrained from misusing his liberty by getting in touch with the witnesses, the court said.
Opposing his bail, the UP government had earlier told the top court that Kappan had deep links with the PFI and was part of a larger conspiracy to “incite religious discord and spread terror”.
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had earlier rejected his bail application.
