Setback for Siddique Kappan as Lucknow court rejects bail plea in PMLA case
Last month, the Kerala-based journalist was granted bail by the Supreme Court, but has continued to remain in a jail in Lucknow as a case being probed by the ED against him is still pending.
In a setback for Siddique Kappan, a Lucknow sessions court on Monday rejected the bail plea filed by the Kerala journalist in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
On October 12, district judge Sanjay Shankar Pandey had concluded the hearing in the matter and reserved the verdict.
Last month, the Kerala-based journalist was granted bail by the Supreme Court, but has continued to remain in a jail in Lucknow as a case being probed by the ED against him is still pending.
Kappan was lodged in the jail after his arrest in October 2020 while he was on his way to Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, where a Dalit woman had died after allegedly being raped.
While ordering his release, additional sessions judge (ASJ) Anurodh Mishra had directed Kappan to furnish two sureties of ₹1 lakh each and a personal bond of the same amount.
Kappan and three others - Athikur Rehman, Alam and Masood - were arrested by the police in Mathura for allegedly having links with the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) and being a part of a conspiracy to instigate violence.
He was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Information Technology (IT) Act.
The Supreme Court had granted bail to Kappan.