News Analysis India

Tag: Kerala Union of Working Journalists

  • Kerala scribes shocked over inclusion of Siddique Kappan’s news stories in UP STF’s charge sheet

    By PTI

    KOCCHI: The Kerala union of working journalists (KUWJ) on Friday expressed shock over the Uttar Pradesh police charge sheet against journalist Siddique Kappan, in which the reports and interviews done by the Delhi-based scribe have also been allegedly included.

    KUWJ said the action of the UP police was nothing but treating “journalism as a crime”.

    According to news reports, the 5,000 page charge sheet, filed by the UP Special Task Force (STF), lists the news items and articles by Kappan.

    “This goes against the very spirit of freedom of expression guaranteed under the constitution. We appeal to the Honorable Supreme Court of India to intervene in the matter and quash the shameful act of the UP police,” the KUWJ said in a statement.

    The journalists body said the police in UP was acting against the freedom of expression and fundamental rights of the individual citizen.

    “The KUWJ is also anguished to learn that the copy of the charge sheet has not been given to Siddique Kappan even though we are on the brink of completing one year of his arrest and subsequent incarceration in the jail,” the statement read.

    KUWJ also pointed out that Kappan has volunteered to undergo narco analysis and other tests as part of his struggle to prove his innocence in the cases slapped against him.

    “The KUWJ as an organization of professional journalists committed to protect the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression would reiterate its support for Mr Kappan and his struggle against the false charges made by the UP police,” it said.

    Delhi-based Kerala journalist Kappan and three others were arrested by Mathura police on October 5 last year, while they were on their way to a village in Hathras to meet the family members of a Dalit girl who had died in a Delhi hospital while undergoing treatment after being gang raped in her village.

    The four were arrested earlier on the apprehension of causing a breach of peace but were later slapped with stern charges of sedition and being involved in various terror offences.

  • Will look into allowing video-conferencing for jailed Kerala scribe: Uttar Pradesh government to SC

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh government told the Supreme Court on Friday that it would look into the possibility of facilitating the video-conferencing between jailed scribe Siddique Kappan, arrested on his way to Hathras where a young Dalit woman had died after allegedly being gang-raped, and his mother living in Kerala.

    Meanwhile, the top court fixed the plea of Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) questioning the arrest of scribe Kappan for hearing on a non-miscellaneous day.

    A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde took note of the submissions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the journalists’ body, that the mother of Kappan was unconscious and was wanting to see her son.

    “Please allow her the video conferencing option so that she can see her son while she lives. We have filed an application. Please allow us,” Sibal told the bench during the hearing conducted through video conferencing. “We will allow,” said the bench which also comprised justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian.

    Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, told the bench that the issue be left to him and the authorities and they would look into the possibility of granting the video-conferencing facility. Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh government had opposed the bail plea of Kappan saying he has been “associated” with PFI, responsible for disrupting public peace by provoking “the class and caste conflicts”.

    The UP government in its additional affidavit has said that Kappan has been associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI) which has been responsible for disrupting the public peace by provoking class and caste conflicts to destroy public order and tarnish the image of the state government.

    Prior to this, the KUWJ had said that the accused is innocent and even urged the top court to order an independent inquiry by a retired top court judge to determine the facts of the “illegal arrest and detention” of Kappan.

    Kappan was arrested on October 5 while he was on his way to Hathras, home to the young Dalit woman who died after being allegedly gang-raped by four upper-caste men. The FIR has been filed under various provisions of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against four people having alleged links with PFI.

    PFI had been accused in the past of funding protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act across the country earlier this year. Hathras has been in the news following the death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman who was allegedly gang-raped on September 14, 2020, in a village in the district.

    Her cremation at night by the authorities, allegedly without the parents’ consent, has triggered widespread outrage.