Supreme Court Relaxes Bail Condition On Kerala Journalist Siddique Kappan

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the plea seeking relaxation of bail condition on Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan that required his presence at a police station in Uttar Pradesh every week

The UP police further alleged that that Kappan had close links with extremist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). 

Source : ANI

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the plea seeking relaxation of bail condition on Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan that required his presence at a police station in Uttar Pradesh every week

A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Sandeep Mehta relaxed the condition imposed by the top court while granting him bail in September 2022, in the case against Kappan under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

In October 2020, Kappan was arrested along with three others in Uttar Pradesh, while on his way to Hathras to report on the gangrape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit girl.

Kappan was accused of being a part of the larger conspiracy to create religious discord and spread terror in the country. he was booked under UAPA for travelling to Hathras with an alleged intention to disturb harmony in the area. He was further accused of going down to Hathras to collect funds to run a website full of misinformation to incite violence.

The UP police further alleged that that Kappan had close links with extremist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). 

The top court granted him bail after he had spent almost two years in prison and observed every person had the right to free expression.

The court had directed Kappan to remain in Delhi for the following six weeks after his release from prison and reporting to the Nizamuddin police station every Monday. Kappan was further asked to not to leave Delhi's jurisdiction without the permission of the court besides being ordered to attend the trial court every day either personally or through his lawyer. The appellant shall deposit his passport with the investigative machinery, added the top court.

However, the court had, allowed him to travel to Malappuram in Kerala after six months maintaining that he would have to report to the local police station and mark his presence there every Monday.