Mathura court rejects bail plea of Siddique Kappan, booked in UP under UAPA for heading to cover Hathras case

A local court in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh has rejected the bail plea of Siddique Kappan, a journalist based in Kerala, who has been charged for offences under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

Judge Anil Kumar Pandey rejected the bail plea moved by Kappan on the ground that there was prima facie case that Kappan and other co-accused were trying to disturb the law and order situation when they were heading to cover the Hathras gangrape incident in Uttar Pradesh, Bar & Bench has reported.

Recently, the Mathura Court had dropped the bailable charges registered against Kappan and others co-accused in the case filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police while Kappan was stated to have been en route to cover the Hathras gang rape case last year.

Kappan had approached a Mathura court for bail, contending that there was no evidence to back up the case against him.

"The facts stated in the FIR are fabricated, concocted and manipulated. The foundation of this FIR is 'media reports' as evident from the contents of the FIR itself," his plea stated.