Hathras ‘conspiracy’ case: Journalist Siddique Kappan files bail plea in apex court

Siddique Kappan, arrested by UP police & facing UAPA charges, moves SC seeking bail. Challenges Allahabad HC order rejecting his bail plea. SC agrees to hear it on August 26. @IndianExpress

— Ananthakrishnan G (@axidentaljourno) August 24, 2022

In his petition, Kappan has challenged the Allahabad High Court’s order, on August 2, dismissing his bail application. “As a result of the rejection of the application, the petitioner, a journalist of 12 years experience, who has also served as the secretary of the Delhi chapter of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists, continues to be incarcerated. Presently, the petitioner has spent almost two years behind bars, on the basis of trumped up charges, only because he sought to discharge his professional duty of reporting on the infamous case of the Hathras rape/ murder,” said the plea.

The HC decision “grossly overlooks the well-established principles regarding the grant of bail, and, without affording any cogent reasons, has mechanically dismissed” the bail plea, it said.

Kappan and three others, including the driver of the vehicle in which they were travelling, were arrested in Mathura on October 5, 2020, when they were on their way to Hathras, where a Dalit woman had died after she was allegedly gangraped. They were booked under UAPA and on charges of sedition.

While Kappan said he was going to Hathras to report on the incident, the UP Police had alleged links with the Popular Front of India (PFI) and claimed the group wanted to create unrest in the area.

On Tuesday, the Allahabad High Court granted bail to Mohammad Alam, the driver of the vehicle who was arrested with Kappan. “The case of this accused appellant (Alam) is distinguished to the case of co-accused Siddique Kappan as incriminating material was allegedly recovered from his (Kappan’s) possession. He is a press reporter and a laptop and a mobile phone recovered from his possession, incriminating articles and video clips etc. were found inter-alia. Admittedly, no such incriminating material was recovered from the possession of the present accused appellant (Alam),” the court said.