SC seeks UP govt's response on plea of Siddique Kappan in UAPA case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the Uttar Pradesh government's response to a plea of Kerala-based journalist Siddique Kappan seeking relaxation of a bail condition of reporting to police every week in a UAPA case registered against him.

A bench of Justices P S Narasimhan and R Mahadevan asked the state government to file its reply on the plea of Kappan, who was arrested in October 2020 while on his way to Hathras in Uttar Pradesh after a Dalit woman from there died following a gang-rape.

The bench listed the matter after two weeks.

On September 9, 2022, the top court granted bail to Kappan, who was in jail for almost two years, while observing that every person has the right to free expression.

It had laid down several conditions for bail, including that he would have to remain in Delhi for the next six weeks after release from prison and report to Nizamuddin police station here on Monday every week.

"The appellant shall be taken to the trial court within three days and shall