Indian journalist Siddique Kappan released from jail after 2 years

• Siddique Kappan was detained in October 2020.
• He was travelling to cover an alleged rape by four men from an upper caste.
• India has dropped eight places in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index.

Siddique Kappan, an Indian journalist who was detained on en route to cover an alleged rape, was freed from prison more than two years later.

In the state of Uttar Pradesh, where a young Dalit woman had reportedly been raped by four guys from an upper caste, he was detained in October 2020.

In India, the case had stirred demonstrations.

Mr. Kappan was accused by police of planning to undermine law and order and encourage violence, which he denied.

He was in the automobile that day with three other males who were charged with similar offences.

Press freedom advocates, who worry that India is becoming an increasingly risky place for journalists, strongly opposed Mr. Kappan’s arrest.

On the 180-country Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, the nation fell eight spots and was placed 150 the previous year.

“The violence against journalists, the politically partisan media and the concentration of media ownership all demonstrate that press freedom is in crisis in “the world’s largest democracy,” the report said.

The Indian Supreme Court granted bail in one of the two suits against Mr. Kappan in September. He was granted bail in the second case by the Allahabad High Court in December.

But because of formalities, it took more than a month after that before he was allowed to go.

Mr. Kappan said he will keep fighting the accusations against him as he left the Lucknow city prison on Thursday.

“I will also continue to do journalism. I will not sit idle… After all, I am a journalist – where can I run?” he told Media.

Mr. Kappan, a native of the state of Kerala, was detained on his way to the Uttar Pradesh region of Hathras while he was employed by the Malayalam-language news site Azhimukham.

He said that the police had tortured him physically and mentally after his detention. Additionally, his family claimed that he was denied access to his diabetes medications by the authorities.

The claims were refuted by the police.

They asserted that Mr. Kappan and his colleagues belonged to the Popular Front of India (PFI), a hardline Muslim organization with roots in Kerala that was outlawed the previous year due to alleged ties to terrorist organizations.

This has been refuted by the PFI, Mr. Kappan’s attorney, and a Kerala-based journalist union to which he belonged.

The Media was informed by Mr. Kappan’s attorney in 2021 that his client had first been accused of “small bailable offences.”

However, two days later, the police added additional accusations, such as sedition and provisions under a strict anti-terror statute that opponents claim makes it nearly impossible to obtain bail.

The Enforcement Directorate, which looks into financial crimes, brought another complaint against him in February 2021 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Mr. Kappan denied receiving funds from PFI to “incite unrest,” as claimed by the central agency.

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