New Delhi (ILNS): The Supreme Court today agreed to hear on Friday a petition for interim bail for Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan, arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police, while he was in Hathras to visit the victims of the tragedy and cover the case.
Today, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, arguing for Kappan, said in the Supreme Court: “The FIR does not disclose any offence against him. He has been in jail since October 5. When we went to the magistrate asking for permission to meet the journalist, they said go to the jail.”
Chief Justice SA Bobde said: “Why don’t you go to the Allahabad High Court? Why have you come here? We want to discourage this petition under Article 32.”
The CJI then said that the bench will issue notice.
Meanwhile, Sibal pleaded for interim bail. The CJI said: “Keep it for Friday (November 20).
It was a habeas corpus plea filed by the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ), seeking the release of its Delhi unit secretary Kappan from the illegal detention of Uttar Pradesh Police.
The matter was previously listed on October 12, when the bench of Chief Justice of India S. A. Bobde, Justices A. S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian was informed that Kappan has been arrested and charged with sedition.
The KUWJ had moved the Supreme Court after the detention of the journalist on October 6. The petitioners contended that Kappan’s detention violates the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution. The petitioners alleged that the detention was in violation of the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in DK Basu vs State of West Bengal and various other judgments of the Court.
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