The Supreme Court of India has called on the Uttar Pradesh government to provide a response regarding the plea of Kerala-based journalist Siddique Kappan. Kappan, arrested in October 2020 under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), has requested a relaxation of his bail condition that mandates weekly police reporting.
Justices P S Narasimhan and R Mahadevan, presiding over the case, have given the state two weeks to submit their reply. Kappan’s arrest was linked to his travel to Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, to report on a case where a Dalit woman died after being gang-raped, an incident that sparked nationwide outrage.
In September 2022, after nearly two years in detention, the Supreme Court granted Kappan bail, emphasizing the fundamental right to free expression. The bail conditions included a stipulation for Kappan to stay in Delhi, reporting every Monday to the Nizamuddin police station for the first six weeks post-release. Subsequently, he was allowed to visit his native place in Malappuram, Kerala, but with a similar requirement to report weekly at the local police station.*
The conditions also restricted Kappan from leaving Delhi without explicit court permission and required him to surrender his passport to the authorities. The FIR against Kappan included allegations of links with the Popular Front of India (PFI) and attempting to disrupt public order in Hathras.
The tragic case of the Hathras victim, who succumbed to her injuries in Delhi, further complicated by controversial police actions regarding her cremation, remains a critical backdrop to Kappan’s ongoing legal battle.
