SC seeks response of UP on bail plea of journalist Siddique Kappan

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Uttar Pradesh government on the bail plea of 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 UU Lalit and S Ravindra Bhat asked the Home department of the Uttar Pradesh government to file its response to Kappan's plea by September 5 and fixed the bail plea of scribe for final disposal four days after that on Friday next week.

At the outset, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Kappan, said the journalist is in jail since October, 2020 and has been accused of taking part in terrorist activities.

The allegations in the charge sheet are that PFI (Popular Front of India) paid me Rs 45,000 for terrorist activities, the senior lawyer said, adding that he has been charged under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

These are just allegations , he said, adding the PFI is not even a banned organisation.

I have nothing to do with PFI. I am a journalist. I was once working with a media organisation which allegedly had some kind of connection with the PFI. I am not working with that organisation anymore, Sibal said.

He said like other journalists, Kappan was also going to Hathras.

Senior advocate Garima Prasad, appearing for the state government, said there were eight accused in the case and moreover, two witnesses have been threatened as well.

Two accused in the present case have been allegedly involved in a Delhi riots and the Bulandshahr riots cases respectively.

We will list the matter for disposal Friday next. You (State government) file the reply, the bench said and asked the counsel for Kappan to file rejoinder to the reply within three days after September 5.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had earlier this month rejected the bail application of Kappan, who was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the alleged Hathras conspiracy case.