The bail plea moved by journalist Siddique Kappan who was booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) has been rejected by the Allahabad High Court.
Single-judge bench of Justice Krishan Pahal rejected the plea by Kappan against a Sessions Court order denying him bail.
Kappan, was a reporter for Malayalam news portal Azhimukham along with being the secretary of the Delhi unit of Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ.
He was arrested in Uttar Pradesh along with three others in October 2020 while on his way to Hathras where he was going for a report on the gang-rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit girl.
He along with three others were charged under Sections 17 and 18 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Section 124A (sedition), Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion) and Section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of Indian Penal Code and Sections 65, 72 and 75 of the Information Technology Act.
The bail plea of Kappan was rejected by the Mathura court in July 2021 on the ground that they were going to instigate the people in Hathras and disturbing the law while claiming to just go for filing a report.