Siddique Kappan, Malayalam Journalist who was booked under the draconian UAPA in Hathras conspiracy case completes 6 months in Uttar Pradesh jail. Kappan was arrested on 5 October last year while on his way to Hathras to report on the gang rape and murder of a Dalit girl. He has been locked up in a Mathura jail on stringent anti-terror charges.
Kappan is observing and breaking the Ramadan fast with curd and cucumber. Raihanath, wife of Siddique Kappan said to Maktoob that the family is trying to send some stuffed food items and dates but the COVID-19 situation is an hindrance to it as well.
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began on Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh and majority of the states in the country.
“Earlier days, Kappan’s work durations were about two to three months and if Ramdan falls in between this period, he spend his Ramadan over there but some how he tries to be home for Eid,” said Raihanath.
The prosecution recently filed a chargesheet running into almost 5,500 pages in a Mathura district court.
Kappan’s family back home in Kerala is keeping their fingers crossed trusting that the Supreme Court will list a habeas corpus plea and hear a customary bail application. While the habeas corpus plea was documented a day after his arrest, the bail application was presented a month later.
There is not latest update of the case as the court did not put the list.
“When habeas corpus plea has been documented then usually within two weeks time there will be some kind of action, but we are still waiting and slowly loosing hope,” wife of the arrested journalist said.
She also added that “if they can file a chargesheet exceeding 5000 pages though I have no clue what is written on it, they will surely jail my husband for long.”
Even Kappan’s advocate who is representing Kerala Union of Working Journalists has no idea what the chargesheet says.
Raihanath said that she is not ready to believe the media trial regarding the chargesheet. She told Maktoob that she is looking forward to read the chargesheet herself once it’s translated.
