New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Kerala-based journalist Siddique Kappan, who was arrested by Uttar Pradesh police on his way to Hathras for covering the alleged gang-rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit girl.
A bench of CJI UU Lalit directed that Kappan shall be produced before the trial court within three days and he shall then be released on bail.
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The top court observed that every person has a Right to Free Expression, and he was trying to show that the victim needed justice and raise a common voice and asked the Uttar Pradesh government if this was a crime in the eyes of the Law.
It told senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani who appeared for the Uttar Pradesh government, that there were protests at India Gate in 2011 for seeking justice in the Nirbhaya gang-rape case.
The court said that sometimes protests are needed to bring a change, after the 2011 protest, there were changes in the laws. These are protests, it said.
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Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh government has opposed the bail plea filed by Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan in the Supreme Court.
Kappan was booked by the Uttar Pradesh government under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), saying he has close links with the extremist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI).
Following his release, Kappan’s wife Rahyanth said that for two years, the family had suffered a lot. “We are really grateful to the judiciary. The journalist community also stood with us,” Rahyanth said.
Kappan’s mother passed away in June 2021 while he was in jail. In February 2021, the SC had granted him five days to visit his ailing mother.