Supreme Court asks U.P. govt to submit medical records of journalist Siddique Kappan

The Supreme Court on April 27 requested the Uttar Pradesh authorities to submit medical records of journalist Siddique Kappan who was arrested final yr on means to Hathras the place a younger Dalit lady had died after being allegedly gang-raped.

Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) alleged that Mr. Kappan has been chained to a cot within the hospital he was admitted to after falling within the toilet and later testing optimistic for COVID-19.

The U.P. authorities refuted the allegations that Mr. Kappan has been chained to a cot on the hospital and mentioned it might file a brief reply on his medical records by tomorrow. A Bench of Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and A.S. Bopanna requested Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, showing for the State authorities, to file the medical records by Wednesday. At the outset, Mr. Mehta mentioned he had preliminary objection to the habeas corpus petition filed by KUWJ as Mr. Kappan has been in judicial custody beneath the judicial order.

He mentioned the habeas corpus petition was not maintainable within the case the place an accused is beneath judicial custody.

Advocate Wills Mathew, showing for KUWJ, mentioned that on April 20 he fell within the toilet and on April 21 he was examined optimistic for COVID-19.

He added that moreover the reliefs being sought, Mr. Kappan also needs to be allowed to speak to his mom by way of video convention.

The Bench, which was dealing with problem in listening to the arguments due to connectivity concern, adjourned the matter for April 28.

“When we are adjourning the matter for detailed hearing for tomorrow, why are you making arguments now,” the Bench informed Mr. Mathew. It requested Mr. Mehta to file medical records of Mr. Kappan by April 28 to which the Solicitor General agreed.

Mr. Kappan’s spouse lately wrote to CJI Ramana looking for his instant launch from the hospital, alleging he’s “chained like an animal in a cot” there.

Ms. Raihanth Kappan claimed within the letter written to the CJI that Mr. Kappan obtained accidents on April 20 after falling within the jail toilet and was reported COVID-19 optimistic a day later.

She mentioned he was shifted to K.M. Medical College, Mathura, on April 21, the place he’s presently “chained like an animal in a cot of the hospital, without mobility, and he neither could take food, nor could go to toilet for the last more than 4 days, and is very critical.” On November 16 final yr, the highest courtroom had sought a response from the Uttar Pradesh authorities on the plea difficult the arrest of the journalist.

The FIR has been filed beneath numerous provisions of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in opposition to 4 individuals having alleged hyperlinks with the Popular Front of India, or PFI.

PFI had been accused up to now of funding protests in opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act throughout the nation earlier this yr. The KUWJ had filed a habeas corpus petition within the high courtroom in opposition to his arrest and instant launch from “illegal detention”.

The police had mentioned it arrested 4 individuals having hyperlinks with the PFI in Mathura — Siddique from Malappuram, Atiq-ur Rehman from Muzaffarnagar, Masood Ahmed from Bahraich and Alam from Rampur.

The plea acknowledged that the arrest was made in violation of the necessary tips laid down by the apex courtroom and with the only real intention of obstructing the discharge of responsibility by a journalist.

Mr. Kappan was arrested on means to Hathras, which has been within the information following the dying of a 19-year-old Dalit lady who was allegedly gang-raped on September 14, 2020, in a village within the district.

Her cremation at evening by the authorities, allegedly with out the mother and father” consent, has triggered widespread outrage.