Plea in SC seeks direction to UP Police to permit Siddique Kappan to interact with lawyer and family
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New Delhi: A plea has been filed before the Supreme Court to issue interim directions to Uttar Pradesh police to permit Kerala Jounralist Siddique Kappan for regular video conference with his family members and lawyers.
The petition filed by Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) stated that fundamental rights of the detained journalists was completely denied. It requested that he be allowed to contact his family via video conferencing, on a regular basis.
A habeas corpus plea seeking his relief filed by the Union is pending before the Supreme Court. The court had asked the petitioners to amend the petition after incorporation of subsequent developments in the case. However, the petitioners could not amend the petition as CJM of Mathura, where the journalist is currently lodged, denied the permission to meet him.
The journalist was denied the right to sign a vakalatnama for authorising his lawyer and when the lawyer attempted to meet him in the court, during his production before the CJM, the Presiding Officer denied permission.
Hence, in the present plea, the Union submitted that it is unable to amend the habeas corpus plea.
Siddiqu Kappan, along with three activists, was arrested by the UP Police in October on his way to Hathras, to cover the incident of rape, murder and controversial cremation of a 19 year old woman.