Lucknow: Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan, who was arrested while covering the Hadhras gang rape and murder case, has been released on bail from the Uttar Pradesh state jail after two years.
A Sessions Court in Lucknow has signed Siddiqui Kappan’s bail orders. In that order, the Superintendent of Police had directed Siddiqui Kappan to be released if he was not required for any other cases. He was earlier granted bail by the Agrabad High Court in a case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Similarly, last 2022, Sep. On 9th, he was released on bail in a case registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967. However, he remained in jail pending a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Speaking about the release, Siddique Kappan said, “I am coming out of jail after 28 months. I want to thank all the media for supporting me. False cases were framed against me. I am happy to be out now.”
What happened at Hadhras? – On 14 September 2020, a 20-year-old Dalit woman from Hadhras went to the field to collect fodder for her cattle. There, he was sexually assaulted by 4 people named Sandeep, Ramu, Lavakush and Ravi from Thakur community known as high caste. It was not just a case of sexual assault. Attempts were made to cut off the woman’s tongue and strangle her to death. The woman was seriously injured and was admitted to the hospital. In this case, the first information report was filed only after 6 days on September 20.
The investigation of the case was transferred to the hands of the CBI. From Aligarh Hospital, the woman was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi. However, on September 29, the woman succumbed to treatment and died. In later investigations, it was argued that no one had cut off the woman’s tongue but that the woman had bitten her tongue while strangling her. On top of all this, the body of the dead woman was hastily cremated by the police in her native town. They said that the police had done this before they cremated their daughter’s body.
