SIDDIQUE KAPPAN WALKS OUT OF JAIL AFTER OVER TWO YEARS IN JAIL: BAIL GRANTED

Kerala Journalist Siddique Kappan has been granted bail over 1 month after the Allahabad High Court in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. He walked out of jail after spending over 2 years in jail. On 01.02.2023, the Sessions Court in Lucknow signed in the orders to release him on Bail after accepting his bail bonds. In the present case, Kerala Journalist Siddique Kappan was arrested with three others in Mathura on October 5, 2020, on the charges against them of conspiracy to create disturbance in Hathras, when a Dalit girl who was allegedly gang-raped and murdered.

It being the case of the journalist that he was going there to report on the case. The Journalist was arrested under the apprehension of causing a breach of peace, consequently, the journalist was booked under the UAPA alleging that he and his co-passengers were trying to incite communal riots and for disrupting social harmony in the wake of the Hathras gangrapemurder case. Last year, the Supreme Court in September granted him bail in all other cases, however, he could not get out of jail due to the pendency of the PMLA case. Therefore, the Lucknow sessions court rejected his bail plea in the PMLA case in October 2022.

The Allahabad High Court in December 2022 granted him bail in the case as it noted that except for the allegations that ₹5K was transferred to the bank account of his co-accused (Atikur Rahman), thus, there being no other transaction either in the bank account of Kappan or in the Co-accused bank account. Adding to which, the bench stated that even if it is being believed that part of the proceeds of the crime was transferred to the bank account of the coaccused, Atikur Rahman that itself may not be a sufficient ground to prove that the accused-applicant has dealt with the proceeds of crime amounting to Rs. 1,36,14,291/-which had been allegedly received by K.A. Rauf Sherif.

Kerala Journalist Siddique Kappan has been granted bail over 1 month after the Allahabad High Court in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. He walked out of jail after spending over 2 years in jail. On 01.02.2023, the Sessions Court in Lucknow signed in the orders to release him on Bail after accepting his bail bonds. In the present case, Kerala Journalist Siddique Kappan was arrested with three others in Mathura on October 5, 2020, on the charges against them of conspiracy to create disturbance in Hathras, when a Dalit girl who was allegedly gang-raped and murdered. It being the case of the journalist that he was going there to report on the case. The Journalist was arrested under the apprehension of causing a breach of peace, consequently, the journalist was booked under the UAPA alleging that he and his co-passengers were trying to incite communal riots and for disrupting social harmony in the wake of the Hathras gangrapemurder case.

Last year, the Supreme Court in September granted him bail in all other cases, however, he could not get out of jail due to the pendency of the PMLA case. Therefore, the Lucknow sessions court rejected his bail plea in the PMLA case in October 2022. The Allahabad High Court in December 2022 granted him bail in the case as it noted that except for the allegations that ₹5K was transferred to the bank account of his co-accused (Atikur Rahman), thus, there being no other transaction either in the bank account of Kappan or in the Co-accused bank account. Adding to which, the bench stated that even if it is being believed that part of the proceeds of the crime was transferred to the bank account of the coaccused, Atikur Rahman that itself may not be a sufficient ground to prove that the accused-applicant has dealt with the proceeds of crime amounting to Rs. 1,36,14,291/-which had been allegedly received by K.A. Rauf Sherif.