SC relaxes journalist Siddique Kappan's bail conditions in UAPA case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted relief to Kerala-based journalist Siddique Kappan by modifying his bail conditions in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Kappan had previously been required to report to the police every week as part of his bail conditions.

A bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimhan and Sandeep Mehta ruled that it would no longer be necessary for Kappan to report to the local police station, allowing him more freedom while his case is ongoing. The court stated, "The order dated September 9, 2022, is modified," and indicated that other matters in his application could be addressed separately.

Kappan was arrested in October 2020 while traveling to Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, after the death of a Dalit woman who had been gang-raped. The Supreme Court granted him bail in September 2022 after he had spent nearly two years in jail, emphasizing the right to free expression.

Initially, the court had set several conditions for Kappan's bail, including a requirement to remain in Delhi for six weeks following his release and to report weekly to the Nizamuddin police station. After six months, he was permitted to travel back to his hometown in Malappuram, Kerala, under similar reporting conditions.

The FIR was registered under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against four individuals, including Kappan, for their alleged connections to the Popular Front of India (PFI). The PFI has previously been accused of financing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act throughout the country.

The police had earlier claimed the accused were trying to disturb law and order in Hathras, following the tragic death of the victim, who was cremated under controversial circumstances without her family's consent.

With PTI inputs