Guwahati: Siddique Kappan, a journalist from Kerala, was released today after being in jail for over a month following his bail in the two cases against him.
He had been arrested nearly two years ago while reporting on the alleged rape of a young woman in Uttar Pradesh whose death sparked nationwide protests.
After coming out of the Lucknow jail, Kappan said that he will continue to “fight against draconian laws”.
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He added, “They kept me in jail even after I got bail… 28 months after a long fight. I don’t know who’s benefiting from my being in jail.”
He added that the two years he spent in jail were very tough, but he “was never afraid”.
Kappan was arrested in October 2020 while on his way to Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, to report on the alleged gang rape and death of a 20-year-old Dalit woman.
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The incident triggered protests across the country, and the police said Kappan was going there to create unrest.
In February 2022, the Enforcement Directorate filed a money laundering case against him, accusing him of receiving money from the banned People’s Front of India.
He got bail in the money laundering case three months later, but his release was held up due to multiple alleged bureaucratic lapses.