The Supreme Court on Monday relaxed the bail conditions for Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan, who was arrested in October 2020 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The revised order eliminates the requirement for Kappan to report weekly to the local police station, providing some relief to the journalist who has been under stringent conditions since his initial release on bail last year.
A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimhan and Sandeep Mehta issued the modification, stating, “The order dated September 9, 2022, is modified, and it shall not be necessary for the petitioner to report to the local police station. The other prayers made in the present application can be agitated independently.”
Siddique Kappan was apprehended while on his way to Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, to report on a brutal incident involving the gang rape and subsequent death of a Dalit woman. His arrest sparked widespread criticism and debates over press freedom in India.
The original bail conditions imposed in September 2022 required Kappan to stay within the jurisdiction of the Nizamuddin area in Delhi for six weeks post-release, and to appear weekly at the Nizamuddin police station. The court had also mandated that Kappan remain in Delhi and not leave without the trial court’s express consent, attend all trial proceedings, and deposit his passport with the investigating authorities.
The FIR against Kappan and three others included charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the UAPA, linking them to the Popular Front of India (PFI) and alleging that their intent was to incite disturbances in Hathras following the high-profile crime.
The recent ruling comes after the Supreme Court’s directive to the state government in September to respond to Kappan’s plea for relaxing these conditions. The court’s decision to ease the bail conditions reflects a significant development in Kappan’s ongoing legal battle, highlighting the challenges faced by journalists and activists under stringent national security laws like the UAPA.
