Lucknow: The court of Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Anurodh Mishra on Monday, issued the release order of Kerala-based journalist Siddique Kappan following orders of the Supreme Court that had granted him bail on 9 September.
However Siddique Kappan will continue to remain in jail in Lucknow as a case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate against him is still pending, officials of the prison department said.
"Kappan will continue to remain in jail as a case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate is still pending," DG Jail PRO Santosh Verma said.
Kappan has been in jail for almost two years since his arrest in October 2020 while he was on his way to report from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, where a Dalit teenager had died after allegedly having been gang-raped by ‘upper’ caste men.
Read also: Supreme Court grants bail to Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan
While ordering his release, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Anurodh Mishra had directed Kappan to furnish two sureties of Rs 1 lakh each and a personal bond of the same amount.
The judge also sought an undertaking from the journalist that he would not breach the conditions imposed on him by the apex court.
He was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Information Technology (IT) Act.
Kappan along with three others -- Athikur Rehman, Alam and Masood -- was arrested by the police in Mathura for allegedly having links with the Popular Front of India and being a part of conspiracy to instigate violence.
He was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Information Technology (IT) Act.
The Supreme Court on Friday had granted bail to Kappan.
Opposition parties and journalist bodies had welcomed the Supreme Court order granting bail to Kappan. (with PTI inputs)
