Journalist Siddique Kappan exits the UP jail after 28 months after a long fight
In October 2020, Siddique Kappan and three other people were detained as they travelled to Hathras, where a Dalit lady supposedly died from rape.
Journalist Siddique Kappan was released from a Lucknow jail on Thursday morning, more than two years after he was detained by the Uttar Pradesh Police while en route to the Hathras home of a young Dalit lady who had died following an alleged gangrape.
Kappan was released on Thursday at 8.30 am, Lucknow Senior Jail Superintendent Ashish Tiwari confirmed to The Indian Express. He was released after all of his paperwork was finished, according to Tiwari.
Kappan admitted that getting bail and being released was a "hard fight" in a statement to the media following his release. "Today, I am free after 28 months and a tough battle. I am pleased since I had a lot of media support, he stated.
When asked about the accusations made against him by the police, he responded, "I had gone to conduct reporting there (in Hathras). Why is that a problem? Only my laptop and phone were discovered to be on me. I also had a notebook and two pens.
In the UAPA case, the Supreme Court granted Kappan bail after asking what specific charges had been brought against him and taking note of "the period of detention suffered."
A Lucknow court filed charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the case against Kappan and six other individuals in December. K A Rauf Sherif, Atikur Rahman, Masud Ahmad, Mohammad Alam, Abdul Razzak, and Ashraf Khadir are the other defendants.
