LUCKNOW: A local court on Monday issued the order for release of Kerala-based journalist Siddique Kappan who has been lodged in jail since October 2020 after he was arrested on his way to report a rape and murder case in Hathras district. However, Lucknow jail authorities said that Kappan is yet to be let off as he has to also obtain a bail in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case.
Uttar Pradesh Police had arrested Kappan, along with three co-accused – Athikurrehman, Alam and Masood – on October 5, 2020, under various sections of the IPC, UAPA and the IT Act.
Additional sessions judge (ASJ), Anurodh Mishra, directed Kappan to furnish two sureties of Rs 1 lakh each and a personal bond of the same amount. The ASJ also sought an undertaking from Kappan that he would not breach the conditions put on him by the Supreme Court which had granted him bail last week.
However, Lucknow Jail senior superintendent Ashish Tiwari on Monday evening said that Kappan will be released from the prison after he secures bail in the PMLA case lodged against him by the ED.
"Siddique is yet to obtain bail in the PMLA case pending against him. So far, he has got bail in other cases. Once he obtains bail in the ED case, he will be released," Tiwari said.
The ED had filed a prosecution complaint on February 6, 2021, against Atikurrehman, Masood Ahmed, Siddiqui Kappan.
According to the complaint, Siddique Kappan had transferred funds to the bank account of Atikurrehman; Mohammed Alam was travelling to Hathras in his car bought in the name of Masood. Fifteen days prior to the visit of Hathras, the car was purchased for Rs 2.25 lakh, the ED had said.
Kappan took an active part in a conspiracy hatched by co-accused Rauf Sherif, the ED had stated in its chargesheet. Sherif is alleged to be the main fundraiser and foreign money launderer for CFI. He is being probed by the ED in a separate money laundering case.
On Friday, the Supreme Court granted bail to Kappan directing him to remain in Delhi for six weeks, after which he can shift to Kerala.
The bench also imposed certain conditions on him, including asking him to surrender his passport and report to the police station on every Monday. The Supreme Court even directed the police to produce Kappan before the trial court within three days.
