SC asks UP govt to submit medical records of journalist Siddique Kappan

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 27

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Uttar Pradesh Government to produce by Wednesday all medical reports of Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan, who was arrested on October 5 last year on his way to cover Hathras gang rape case. 

“We will hear the entire matter tomorrow,” a Bench led by CJI NV Ramana said while seeking medical reports of Kappan — facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Kappan’s wife Raihanth Kappan and Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) have sought the top court’s immediate intervention, alleging that he has been chained to his hospital bed in Mathura despite being COVID19 positive.

On behalf of UP Government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta refuted the allegation that Kappan was chained.

According to Uttar Pradesh Police, the investigation conducted found that he was a PFI activist who attempted to create caste, communal tension in Hathras and the newspaper he claimed to represent had already shut down two years ago.

The Supreme Court had on February 15 given five-day interim bail to Kappan to visit Kerala to meet his 90-year-old ailing mother.

However, it had restrained him from giving any interviews to the media, including social media; and meeting members of the public, except his own relatives and doctors.

The order had came on a petition by KUWJ challenging his arrest. 

Arrested on October 5, 2020 under UAPA while on his way to Hathras to cover the death of a Dalit woman who died after allegedly being gang-raped, accused Kaplan is currently lodged in a Uttar Pradesh jail.

The rape-cum-murder case is being probed by the CBI probe. After the September 14 incident, the 19-year-old woman had died on September 29, 2020 at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital during treatment and her body was cremated at night near her home on September 30, 2020.