Lawyers’ strike delays journo Kappan’s release

He was granted bail by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court in December last year in the case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED)

Kerala-based journalist Siddique Kappan, who was scheduled to be released on Tuesday after two years in jail in a money laundering case, may have to wait longer after a lawyers’ strike at Lucknow district court delayed submission of his required documents.

According to Kappan’s counsel, there was a delay in verifying his two sureties of ₹1 lakh, which he was asked to provide before being granted the bail. However, after the sureties were verified on Tuesday, they could not be submitted in the court due to the lawyers’ strike. (File Photo)

Kappan was granted bail by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court in December last year in the case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

According to Kappan’s counsel, there was a delay in verifying his two sureties of ₹1 lakh, which he was asked to provide before being granted the bail. However, after the sureties were verified on Tuesday, they could not be submitted in the court due to the lawyers’ strike.

“The high court had granted bail to Kappan on December 23. His two sureties of ₹1 lakh each could not be verified on time,” his counsel Ishan Baghel said.

“Now, after both the sureties were verified on Tuesday, they could not be submitted in court due to a boycott by the lawyers. He will be released whenever the court resumes business,” Baghel added. The strike on Tuesday was held in protest against an FIR filed against two lawyers earlier this month by Lucknow police in an accident case. It was not immediately known whether the strike would continue on Wednesday.

On December 23, the high court granted bail to Kappan after noting that ED’s probe lacked ascribing any specific role to him in the case relating to illicit transaction of money to the tune of ₹1.36 crore, allegedly collected by now banned Popular Front of India, to spread terror in the country.