Kerala CM seeks medical help for jailed journo Siddique Kappan; writes to Yogi Adityanath

Expressing concern over Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan's deteriorating health, CM Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday, wrote to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath seeking medical attention for Kappan. He informed Adityanath that Kappan was diabetic and is infected with COVID-19, allegedly chained to his bed in KVM Hospital in Mathura. Kappan has been slapped with the stringent UPA in connection to an alleged conspiracy to create riots over the Hathras rape case in 2020.

Kerala CM writes to Yogi

Earlier in the day, Kappan's wife wrote to CJI NV Ramanna seeking his release from Mathura jail as his 'life was in extreme danger'. Kappan's wife stated that 'he is chained like an animal in a cot of the Medical College Hospital, Mathura, without mobility, and that he is not able to take food, go to the toilet for more than 4 days and is very critical'. She urged the CJI to pass immediate orders releasing Kappan from the Hospital to prevent 'his untimely death'.

SC grants interim bail to Siddique Kappan

In February, SC  granted 5-day interim bail to Siddique Kappan to visit his ailing mother. According to PTI, Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ), stated that Kappan's mother could not talk on video conference and the doctors have said she might live only for two or three more days. Siddique Kappan was arrested on October 5 last year at a toll plaza in Uttar Pradesh on his way to Hathras, along with three other people for having alleged links with the Popular Front of India. Later an FIR was filed under various provisions of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

 What is the Hathras rape case?

A 19-year-old Dalit woman was reported to be allegedly raped by four upper-caste men in a field on September 14 - all accused have been arrested. The victim succumbed to her injuries and her autopsy report read spinal cord injuries, paralysis, and cuts in her tongue with no mention of rape. Citing it, the police has claimed that the victim was 'not raped' highlighting that 'neck injury and trauma' were mentioned as the cause of death and that no traces of sperm were found in her private parts.

The case took an ugly turn when UP police cremated the victim's body at 2:30 AM on September 30, allegedly without the family's consent, which has been refuted by the police. Five police officers including the district's Police Superintendent (SP) Vikrant Vir have been suspended for the 'midnight funeral'.Several upper-caste men protested outside the victim's home, in favour of the accused, stating that 'no rape occurred'. Later, CBI, which took over the case from UP police, charged the four accused  Sandeep, Luvkush, Ravi, and Ramu with gangrape, murder and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in its chargesheet.