Siddique Kappan, an Indian journalist, was arrested en route to Hathras to cover the 2020 Hathra gang rape case. |
In 2009, he started his journalism career at 'Gulf Thejas Daily' and later worked for Azhimukham, an independent Malayalam news portal. |
His reporting covers crime, human rights, politics, and government persecution of journalists, and he freelanced for Prasadgan, a monthly Malayalam magazine. |
In 2013, he moved to Delhi and joined the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ), eventually becoming the Delhi unit's secretary. |
During his arrest in the 2020 Hathras gang rape case, lawyer Mohamed Dhanish defended him in court. |
In February 2021, he received a five-day interim bail to visit his ill mother, limited to close family members only. |
He tested positive for COVID-19 in April 2021 and received treatment at Mathura Jail before being transferred to AIIMS Delhi. |
Various international news organizations denounced his arrest by the Uttar Pradesh police in July 2021 and demanded his release. |
In October 2021, the 'Black Day Protest' was held by the Press Club of India, the Kerala Union of Working Journalists, and the Delhi Union of Journalists in protest of his arrest. |
Upon his release on 2 February 2023, Siddique Kappan reiterated his commitment to journalism and seeking justice. |