Even after getting bail from the Supreme Court in other cases, Kerala-based journalist Siddique Kappan, will continue to remain in Lucknow prison as he is yet to get relief in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), said lawyer handling the matter for Mr. Kappan in U.P. The hearing on Mr. Kappan’s bail application in the PMLA case is scheduled on September 19.
“Only after the bail is sanctioned in the PMLA case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Mr. Kappan can be released. On September 13, we moved the preponement application for hearing the bail plea in the sessions court, but it was not accepted. The bail plea in the case will be heard on the default date September 19,” Mohamad Dhanish, K.S. a lawyer looking after the case from Mr. Kappan’s side in Lucknow told The Hindu.
Mr. Kappan who is originally from Kerala worked as a reporter for Malayalam news website Azhimukham and also held the post of secretary in Delhi Unit of Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) has been lodged in U.P. jails since his arrest in October 2020 while he was on his way to Hathras, where a Dalit woman had died after allegedly being raped. Mr. Kappan was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Information Technology (IT) Act apart from the PMLA by the law enforcement agencies.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has booked Mr. Kappan and his three associates Masood, Athikur Rehman and Alam under charges of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and alleged that one Rouf Sharif, a student wing leader of the Popular Front of India (PFI), had “funded” their trip to Hathras.
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Earlier on September 12, a local sessions court in Lucknow, issued the release order of Mr. Kappan, in other case after a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) U.U.Lalit directed the state of Uttar Pradesh to produce the journalist before a local court for release on bail. While ordering his release, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Anurodh Mishra directed Mr. Kappan to furnish two sureties of Rs 1 lakh each and a personal bond of the same amount. The judge also sought an undertaking from Mr. Kappan that he would not breach the conditions imposed on him by the Supreme Court like he will stay within the jurisdiction of Jangpura in New Delhi for six weeks and is required to be present at a local police station every Monday for these six weeks.
