The Supreme Court on Monday, August 29, issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government seeking its response on the bail plea filed by Kerala-based journalist Siddique Kappan, arrested in October 2020 while on his way to Hathras where a Dalit woman had died after allegedly being gang-raped.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and S Ravindra Bhat fixed the plea for final disposal on September 9. The apex court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file its reponse by September 5, and said that the matter will be disposed of on September 9.
Siddique Kappan, who has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case, had moved the Supreme Court against a Allahabad High Court order denying his bail application.
The Allahabad High Court had earlier this month rejected his bail application stating that the chargesheet by Uttar Pradesh police and the documents produced by them in the court “prima facie reveal that the applicant has committed the offence of trying to incite riots” and “used journalism as a cover to fulfil his ulterior motives”.
Siddique was arrested on October 5, 2020, with three others, while he was on his way to Hathras. An FIR was filed under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the UAPA against four persons, who the police said have alleged links with the Popular Front of India (PFI).
The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force had filed a 5,000 page chargesheet in the case, claiming that he “only reported about Muslims” and that “reporting on riots is also communal”. The STF had said that in many cases, Muslims have been “painted as victims” and articles have been written to “incite their sentiments.”