Malayalam journalist Siddique Kappan finally set free after both the Supreme Court and the Allahabad High Court gave him relief in a terror and sedition case and a money laundering case respectively.
Kappan was arrested on October 5, 2020 while travelling from Delhi to Hathras on charges of conspiracy to create disturbance in Hathras where a Dalit teen was gang raped and subsequently murdered. He was also booked under terrorism, sedition, and other charges on the ground of planning to cause unrest and violence in Hathras.
Kappan was arrested along with his three companions; Atiq-ur-Rahman, Mohammad Alam, and Masood Ahmad. All four of them were accused of being members of Popular Front of India (PFI). Subsequently, Kappan was also booked under PMLA on charges of money laundering by the Enforcement Directorate.
In September 2022, the Supreme Court granted bail to Kappan in all other cases and the only pending case remaining against him was under PMLA. In December 2022, the Allahabad HC also granted him bail and finally freed him.
Kappan who has become a symbol of resistance and government crackdown on dissent, was thus, freed on February 2nd, 2023 28 months after being in prison following the completion of bail formalities.
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