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Before the Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench), the State Government of Uttar Pradesh has filed its reply to the bail application of the UAPA accused Siddique Kappan. Kappan was arrested in October 2020 in the alleged 'Hathras conspiracy'.

The bench of Justice Krishan Pahal noted that the counter affidavit of the State was filed today itself. Therefore, Court granted one week's time to Kappan's counsel Advocate Ishan Baghel to file the rejoinder. The matter will be next heard on March 28, 2022. 

Earlier on February 21, Court had asked the State to file counter affidavit to the Kappan's bail on the next date and further warned that if  “On the next date, if the counter affidavit is not filed, the bail application may be heard and disposed of finally on the basis of material available on record and the arguments so advanced by learned counsel for the parties.”

Additionally, Court had also refused to accept the objections raised by the Additional Government Advocate against the maintainability of Kappan’s bail plea having been filed at Lucknow bench of the high court.

On December 13 last year, the local Court in Mathura had transferred the case against Kappan and seven others to the NIA, Special Court, Lucknow.

Kappan was arrested on October 5, 2020, when he was on his way to Hathras, Uttar Pradesh to meet the family of the victim of the alleged Hathras rape and murder case. Subsequently, he was booked under UAPA and sedition laws too. All the accused have been in judicial custody since then.

Kappan’s bail plea has earlier been rejected by the Mathura Court on July 6, 2021. He and others are facing charges under Sections 17 and 18 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), section 124-A  (sedition), sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion), section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of Indian Penal Code and section 65, 72 and 75 of the Information Technology  Act.

Case Title: Sidhique Kappan v. State Of U.P.Thru.Prin.Secy.Home Lko.