Lucknow court rejects Siddique Kappan’s bail in money laundering case

After hearing the bail application earlier this month, district judge Sanjay Shankar Pandey had reserved his order. However, on Monday, the bail plea was turned down by the court.

In jail for over two years now, Kerala-based scribe Siddique Kappan was denied bail by the district and sessions court in Lucknow on Monday. The journalist was booked under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Now, Kappan would have to remain in prison despite being granted bail by the Supreme Court in other cases. (File photo)

After hearing the bail application earlier this month, district judge Sanjay Shankar Pandey had reserved his order. However, on Monday, the bail plea was turned down by the court. Now, Kappan would have to remain in prison despite being granted bail by the Supreme Court in other cases in September this year, according to legal experts.

Kappan was arrested with three others by Uttar Pradesh police on October 5, 2020, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the Information Technology Act. The scribe was on his way to cover the Hathras gangrape when the arrest took place. The Dalit victim, who was allegedly gang-raped on September 14, 2020, died after five days into treatment at a Delhi hospital.

According to police, six smartphones, one laptop, and several pamphlets were recovered from Kappan. During the probe, it was revealed that Kappan allegedly received money from Popular Front of India, a banned outfit, in his bank account in September-October 2020. He was allegedly sent by the outlaw organisation to Hathras to create unrest.

Earlier, on September 9 this year, the Supreme Court granted bail to Kappan while pointing out that the bail order will not affect the proceedings going on against him in the trial court.