Kappan was supposed to walk out last night, but he couldn't because the judge of the Special Court on Money Laundering was preoccupied with a bar council election.
Digital Desk: Siddique Kappan, a journalist from Kerala who was arrested on terror accusations, will be released today. A special court in Lucknow approved his release order Wednesday, more than a month after he was granted bail in both instances. "But the release order didn't reach jail in time... he'll walk out of jail today before noon," his lawyer stated.
Kappan was supposed to walk out last night, but he couldn't because the judge of the Special Court on Money Laundering was preoccupied with a bar council election.
Siddique Kappan was detained in October 2021 while on his way to Hathras to report on the alleged gang rape and death of a 20-year-old Scheduled Castes woman, which sparked national indignation. The police claimed he was headed there to cause trouble.
Under the harsh anti-terror statute UAPA, he was charged with sedition. In February 2022, the Enforcement Directorate filed a money laundering complaint against him, accusing him of receiving funding from the banned People's Front of India.
In September of last year, he was granted bail in the terror case, then in December in the money laundering case. His release, however, was delayed due to a series of administrative problems.
According to the police, Siddique Kappan and the others arrested with him are members of the banned Popular Front of India and its student arm, the Campus Front of India. Kappan has denied any involvement or financing of terrorist acts. He claimed to be on his way to Hathras for journalistic work.
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