Renowned Journalist Siddique Kappan was arrested at a toll plaza in Mathura on October 5, 2020, when he was on his way to Hathras. He was on his way to report the alleged gang rape and murder of a young Dalit woman in Hathras, Now, two years down the lane, Kappan is behind bars facing charges that include conspiracy to incite violence, outraging religious feelings, sedition, and sundry terrorism charges. His arrest was a clear indication that journalists holding truth to power has no place in Indian democracy.
Kappan has had over 10 years of reporting experience under his belt and wrote mainly on state persecution against Muslims, Hindutva, and majoritarianism. Obviously, this made him a target of the ruling establishment which was and is on a quest to stifle voices that criticize its policy of Hindutva. In December 2020, the Uttar Pradesh police told the Supreme Court that Kappan – a family man of modest means – was not a journalist but only “posed” as one. In a 5,000-word chargesheet – filed in April 2021, the Uttar Pradesh police acknowledged he was indeed a journalist.
According to the charge sheet, “in the writing, the Muslims have been portrayed as victims who were beaten up by police and were asked to go to Pakistan. It is evident from the writing that it has been done to incite Muslims”. Further, the charge sheet described Siddique Kappan’s writings as communal
“During riots, taking the name of a minority and talking about events related to them can incite sentiments. Responsible journalists do not do such communal reporting. Kappan only and only reports to incite Muslims, which is a hidden agenda of the PFI. Some stories were written to sympathise with Maoists and Communists.”
On November 2020, the investigating officer of Kappan’s case made an entry in his daily diary in which he stated that the forensic exam of Kappan’s laptop had recovered a copy of a legal notice in the Documents folder. UP STF has presented this legal notice to investigate Kappan, who is accused of working with the organisation PFI to further Islamist agenda.
These charges can only be deemed senseless because all Kappan did was bring attention to the discrimination minorities face under the ruling establishment.” PFI Agenda” hullabaloo is nonsensical since The Popular Front of India is not a banned organisation. Kappan has always consistently denied having any links with PFI.
Deemed a terrorist,Islamist fanatic,questioned his role as a journalist, just a part of the plethora of harrasment Kappan had to go through for merely doing his job. Booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Kappan has been denied bail multiple times. Criminalising journalists will continue to be the state’s weapon to stifle voices that hold them accountable.
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