The Uttar Pradesh police has opposed journalist Siddique Kappan's bail plea on grounds that he is purportedly “part of the larger conspiracy...to foment religious discord and spread terror in the country”.

According to Bar and Bench, the UP police filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court yesterday to this effect. The police's affidavit also accused Kappan of having close ties with the Popular Front of India.

“It has come out in the investigation that the petitioner was actually part of the PFI/CFI delegation to meet the family of the Hathras victim and foment discord and spread terror,” the affidavit said. “Investigation has revealed that the said delegation was sent to Hathras on the directions of co-accused Rauf Sharif (National General Secretary, CFI, prime fund raiser and financial transaction handler for PFI/CFI), who had also provided finances for the trip.”

Kappan had approached the apex court after the Allahabad High Court rejected his bail plea last month. The Supreme Court posted the matter for disposal on September 9.

Kappan was arrested in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, in early October 2020 while he was on his way to report on the rape and murder of a Dalit woman in Hathras. He was charged with sedition and under the anti-terror law UAPA, and has been in jail ever since.

Last month, his wife Raihanath spoke to Newslaundry at length about her husband's 700 days in jail and the toll its taken on the family. Kappan had also told her about the questioning he'd faced from the UP police.

“He told me they asked him what languages he knew. When he said he speaks Arabic, he was beaten,” she said. “When he said he studied at Jamia, he said they beat him. Then they asked if he eats beef. He does. But he said he doesn’t to stop the thrashing.” Read the report here.

Newslaundry also investigated the UP police's chargesheet against Kappan and the allegations it makes. Check out the multi-part series here.