Big RELIEF for Siddique Kappan, SC grants BAIL to Kerala journalist jailed for 2 years in Yogi Adityanath's State

The Supreme Court has granted the bail plea of ​​Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan, who has been in the custody of the Uttar Pradesh police for almost two years. A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice UU Lalit on Friday granted his bail plea. The UP government had registered a case against him under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The Supreme Court has directed that Kappan be produced before the trial court within three days and be released on bail. 

Siddique Kappan: The Case

On October 5, 2020, Kappan, a journalist from a Malayalam newspaper in Delhi, was going to meet the family of the dalit girl who was raped and killed in Hathras. On the way, he was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police in Mathura. A case was registered against him under the UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act). Yogi Adityanath's government had alleged that Kappan had 'connections' with the extremist group Popular Front of India (PFI), which has an anti-national agenda. The UP government alleged that Siddiqui Kappan was part of a larger conspiracy to spread religious discord and terror in the country.

5000 Page Charge Sheet

Yogi Adityanath's police submitted a 5,000-page charge sheet against journalist Kappan in the Mathura court last October. There, Kappan was charged with abetting terrorism. It is said that Kappan was in touch with the banned organization SIMI (Student Islamic Movement of India). The charge sheet even cited 36 reports written by Kappan in a Malayalam newspaper as 'proof' of Kappan's contacts with separatist groups.

After that, the case moved from one court to another. Kappan approached the Allahabad High Court as his bail plea was rejected by the Mathura court. As the application was rejected there also, Kappan moved to the Supreme Court. Earlier in February last year, the Supreme Court had granted Kappan a five-day bail to visit his ailing mother.