Breach of peace charges against Siddique Kappan dropped

An Uttar Pradesh court in Mathura dropped the charges related to apprehension of breach of peace against Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan and three others on Tuesday as the police failed to complete the inquiry against them within the prescribed time of six months. Sub Divisional Magistrate of Mant, Ram Datt Ram discharged charges under Criminal Procedure Code (CrPc) sections 151(Arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences), 107 (Security for keeping the peace in other cases) and 116 (Inquiry as to truth of information) of Atiqur Rahman, Masood Ahmed, Alam and Siddique Kappan.

Kappan was arrested on October 5 while he was on his way to report on the gang rape of a Dalit woman in UP's Hathras by upper-caste men. Kappan and his alleged associates were arrested on the apprehension of causing a breach of peace and were later also charged with sedition, UAPA and Information Technology Act. The police alleged that the accused had links to the Popular Front of India and were trying to incite communal riots and disrupt social harmony in Hathras.