SC asks UP authorities to submit medical data of journalist Siddique Kappan

New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) The Supreme Court Tuesday requested the Uttar Pradesh authorities to submit medical data of journalist Siddique Kappan who was arrested final yr on strategy to Hathras the place a younger Dalit girl had died after being allegedly gang-raped.
Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) alleged that Kappan has been chained to a cot within the hospital he was admitted to after falling within the rest room and later testing optimistic for COVID-19.
The UP authorities refuted the allegations that Kappan has been chained to a cot on the hospital and mentioned it will file a brief reply on his medical data by tomorrow.
A bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and A S Bopanna requested Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, showing for the state authorities, to file the medical data by Wednesday.
At the outset, Mehta mentioned he had preliminary objection to the habeas corpus petition filed by KUWJ as Kappan has been in judicial custody beneath the judicial order.

He mentioned the habeas corpus petition was not maintainable within the case the place an accused is beneath judicial custody.
Advocate Wills Mathew, showing for KUWJ, mentioned that on April 20 he fell within the rest room and on April 21 he was examined optimistic for COVID-19.
He added that moreover the reliefs being sought, Kappan must also be allowed to speak to his mom by way of video convention.
The bench, which was dealing with problem in listening to the arguments resulting from connectivity situation, adjourned the matter for Wednesday.
“When we are adjourning the matter for detailed hearing for tomorrow, why are you making arguments now,” the bench instructed Mathew.
It requested Mehta to file medical data of Kappan by Wednesday to which the solicitor basic agreed.
Kappan”s spouse just lately wrote to CJI Ramana looking for his rapid launch from the hospital, alleging he’s “chained like an animal in a cot” there.
Raihanth Kappan claimed within the letter written to the CJI that Kappan obtained accidents on April 20 after falling within the jail rest room and was reported COVID-19 optimistic a day later.
She mentioned he was shifted to Ok M Medical College, Mathura, on April 21, the place he’s presently “chained like an animal in a cot of the hospital, without mobility, and he neither could take food, nor could go to toilet for the last more than 4 days, and is very critical.”
On November 16 final yr, the highest court docket had sought a response from the Uttar Pradesh authorities on the plea difficult the arrest of the journalist.
The FIR has been filed beneath numerous provisions of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) towards 4 individuals having alleged hyperlinks with the Popular Front of India, or PFI.

PFI had been accused up to now of funding protests towards the Citizenship (Amendment) Act throughout the nation earlier this yr. The KUWJ had filed a habeas corpus petition within the prime court docket towards his arrest and rapid launch from “illegal detention”.
The police had mentioned it arrested 4 individuals having hyperlinks with the PFI in Mathura — Siddique from Malappuram, Atiq-ur Rehman from Muzaffarnagar, Masood Ahmed from Bahraich and Alam from Rampur.
The plea acknowledged that the arrest was made in violation of the obligatory tips laid down by the apex court docket and with the only real intention of obstructing the discharge of responsibility by a journalist.

Kappan was arrested on strategy to Hathras, which has been within the information following the loss of life of a 19-year-old Dalit girl who was allegedly gang-raped on September 14, 2020, in a village within the district.
Her cremation at night time by the authorities, allegedly with out the dad and mom”” consent, has triggered widespread outrage.