Four months after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the UAPA case against him, Kerala Journalist Siddique Kappan is likely to walk out of jail today evening (Wednesday, 1 February) or tomorrow morning.
What happened? A Sessions court in Lucknow accepted his bail bonds and signed orders for his release earlier on Wednesday.
According to Livelaw, the court has directed the Superintendent, District Jail, Lucknow to release Kappan, if not wanted in any other case after obtaining a personal bond from him.
Previously…In December, 2022 the Allahabad High Court had granted him bail in a PMLA case, in connection with which the ED had sought his arrest right after the Supreme Court’s bail order.
The Allahabad High Court had also noted, in its order, that barring the transfer of ₹5K to the bank account of his co-accused, there was no other transaction that could be alleged against Kappan.
“Even if it is believed that part of the proceeds of the crime was transferred to the bank account of the co-accused, Atikur Rahman that itself may not be sufficient 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.”Allahabad High Court
More about Kappan’s arrest? In October 2020, the Kerala Journalist was arrested, along with three others, by the Uttar Pradesh Police while he was on the way to Hathras to cover the gang rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit girl.
Initially arrested over alleged "apprehension of breach of peace,” soon after, a second FIR was registered against them under sections of the UAPA.
(With inputs from Livelaw.)
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