JOIN USSiddique Kappan to remain in jail over ED probe, despite bail
Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan would remain in jail despite being granted bail by the supreme court a few days back as he faced another case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and was yet to get in that case.
According to the police sources here on Tuesday, Kappan, who was currently lodged in the Lucknow district jail after being arrested while on their way to Hathras in October 2020 with some others to meet a Dalit teen who had been gang-raped.
Police sources said that Kappan was facing an ED probe in a case of money laundering and that he would have to remain in jail as he had not been granted bail in the case.
A district court here on Tuesday ordered the release of Kappan in the cases lodged against him under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Information Technology (IT) Act. The court directed for his release on him furnishing two sureties of Rs one lakh each and a personal bond of the same amount.
The SC had directed Kappan to remain in Delhi for six weeks before moving to Kerala and report to the police every week.
Police had while arresting Kappan and some others in Mathura in October 2020, claimed that the journo had connections with the Popular Front of India (PFI) and had also accused him of trying to hatch a conspiracy to incite violence.
Kappan had approached the apex court after the Mathura district court as well as the Allahabad high court rejected his bail application.
While the opposition parties accused the BJP government of harassing Kappan as he was a Muslim, the saffron party leaders had sought stern action against him alleging that he was part of a conspiracy to foment violence in the state.