I struggled but happy that justice served, says Siddique Kappan after coming out of UP jail

More than two years after being arrested over his alleged links with the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) while on the way to Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district to meet a Dalit teen who had been gangraped, Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan on Thursday walked out of the Lucknow district jail.

Flashing a victory sign, Kappan came out of the jail and walked toward his family members, who had been waiting for his release since morning. ''I was implicated in a false case....I have come out of jail after 28 months....I struggled a lot....the days spent in jail were very tough,'' Kappan said while speaking to reporters.

He said that he would continue his fight against the draconian laws. ''My fight will continue....I was not released despite getting bail from the court....I have no idea who benefitted by keeping him in jail,'' he added.

Kappan claimed that he only had a mobile and a laptop when he was arrested by the police in Mathura. ''I had two pens and a notepad,'' he remarked while reacting to the alleged recovery of incriminating documents from his possession. His wife and his eldest son, who were there to receive him, insisted that Kappan was a journalist.

The Kerala journo thanked the media for its 'support'.

Also Read | Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan walks out of Uttar Pradesh jail on bail

Kappan had been granted bail by the Allahabad High Court more than a month ago but he could not be released from jail reportedly owing to delay in verification of the sureties. The sureties were submitted in the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) Court on Wednesday.

The journalist had earlier granted bail by the Supreme Court but he was not released from jail as he faced another case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The Allahabad High Court had granted him bail in the PMLA Case on December 23 last year.

Kappan was lodged in the Lucknow district jail after being arrested while on way to Hathras in October 2020 with some others to meet a dalit teen who had been gangraped.

Police had, while arresting Kappan and some others in Mathura in October 2020, claimed that the journo had connections with the Popular Front of India (PFI) and had also accused him of trying to hatch a conspiracy to incite violence.

Kappan had approached the apex court after the Mathura district court as well as the Allahabad High Court rejected his bail application.

While the Opposition parties accused the BJP government of harassing Kappan as he was a Muslim, the saffron party's leaders had sought stern action against him alleging that he was part of a conspiracy to foment violence in the state.