An Indian Muslim journalist despite securing bail from the Supreme Court of India, after spending nearly two years in jail on unproven charges by the Uttar Pradesh government, will remain behind bars.

Siddique Kappan secured bail after two years of legal battle, but now police bought a different new case against him, so he’ll continue to remain in jail. 

"We are confident that he will be free soon as we have complete faith in our legal system," his wife Raihanath Kappan told Anadolu Agency. They expect that he will be granted bail in this case when it is heard on Sept. 19.

The journalist, who worked for a regional Malayalam news website, was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Friday after being detained by police in northern Uttar Pradesh state in 2020 on his way to report on the death of a lower-caste Dalit teenager days after she was gang raped.

On Sept. 14, 2020, a 19-year-old Dalit woman was gang raped in the state's Hathras area, resulting in serious injuries and her death two weeks later. The incident triggered widespread outrage and protests across the country.

The state authorities alleged that Kappan and the co-accused were traveling to Hathras with the purpose to disrupt the area's harmony. They also alleged that he had close ties to the Popular Front of India, a Muslim organization accused by the federal government of having ties to "terrorist" outfits, which the organization denies.

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Source:  The Hindu   |   AA News 

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