NEW DELHI: On Friday, India’s highest court released a journalist who had been detained for over two years without being tried on charges that he had planned to incite religious hate and raised money for terrorism.
In order to cover a high-profile gang-rape case, Siddique Kappan travelled to the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in October 2020, where he was then detained.
He and three other people were charged with conspiracy to promote violence after being falsely implicated as members of a militant group.
In a case involving alleged hate speech, the Indian Supreme Court has granted journalist Mohammed Zubair interim bail.
Kappan has maintained his innocence and claims that he simply left Kerala, his home state, to perform his journalistic duties.
The Supreme Court granted the reporter’s request for bail after noting that the police inquiry that was filed in April of last year’s case had not yet been resolved.
“Everyone has the right to express themselves freely. He is attempting to raise a collective voice and demonstrate the need for justice for victims, the court concluded.
Lower courts have previously denied bail requests.
Since the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered office in 2014, India has dropped 10 spots in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom ranking, to 150 out of 180.
Critics of the government’s Bharatiya Janata Party frequently end up in jail and harassed on social media (BJP).
According to Reporters Without Borders, nine additional journalists are being detained in Indian jails.
