New Delhi, September 6
The Uttar Pradesh Government has opposed Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan’s bail plea in the Supreme Court, alleging that he has close links with the Popular Front of India (PFI).
“The investigation has revealed that the petitioner is part of the larger conspiracy with the co-accused (including the financial launderer of CFI, Rauf Sharif) to foment religious discord and spread terror in the country, especially in the wake of anti-CAA protests and violence, the Babri Masjid decision of this Hon’ble court and the Hathras incident,” the UP Government said in an affidavit filed in the top court.
“The anti-national and terrorist PFI conspiracy and agenda dates back to 2010 (when PFI cadres (ex SIMI) had brutally maimed (hacked off the hands) Christian Lecturer TJ Thomas of Newman College, and to 2013 when a PFI-backed weapon training terrorist camp was raided by the Kerala police at Narath, an investigation which was later taken over by the NIA,” it said.
The affidavit has been filed in response to a notice issued by the Supreme Court on August 2 asking the State of Uttar Pradesh to respond to Kappan’s plea seeking bail in connection with a case registered against him by the Uttar Pradesh Police under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Kappan – who was arrested on October 5, 2020 while on his way to Hathras to cover a gang-rape of a Dalit woman—has challenged an Allahabad High Court order rejecting his bail plea.
After the September 14, 2020 incident, the 19-year-old woman had died on September 29 at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital during treatment and her body was cremated at night near her home on September 30 and the rape-cum-murder case was handed over to the CBI for probe.
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