The law enforcement agency had slapped stringent anti-terror law on the arrested journalist accusing him to spread the terror agenda of the banned outfit Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on Thursday rejected bail plea of Kerala journalist Saddique Kappan who was arrested by the UP Police in October 2020 when he was on his way to Hathras in the aftermath of a gangrape and murder case. The police had also arrested three others along with Kappan.
The law enforcement agency had slapped stringent anti-terror law on the arrested journalist accusing him to spread the terror agenda of the banned outfit Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Kappan, however, had said that he is being framed by the police.
Rejecting his bail application, single bench judge of Allahabad High Court said that it has come up in the investigation that the applicant had no work at Hathras. Prima facie, it appears that the applicant has committed the offence.
The court further said that the stands taken by applicant that he is a journalist and only owing to his professional duty, he wanted to visit the place of Hathras incident stands rejected by the averments in the charge-sheet and the persons, he was arrested with, while travelling in a car. The tainted money being used by the applicant and his colleagues cannot be ruled out.
Kappan’s lawyer, in defence, said that he is innocent and is being framed. He said that Kappan had never used any platform to spread any disharmony.
The Delhi unit of Kerala Union of Working Journalists, in a statement, showed its disappointment over the development. It further said to challenge the matter in Supreme Court.
“It is a matter of disappointment that the Allahabad High Court has rejected the bail of Kappan. We have that the Supreme Court will interfere and uphold the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression guaranteed to every citizen and more particularly to a journalist under part 3 of the Constitution,” it said.