Lekha G
Raihanath Kappan, wife of Journalist Siddique Kappan has sent a notice of contempt to the Uttar Pradesh Government alleging non-compliance of the Supreme Court’s Order dated April 28.
Raihanath Kappan stated that the Uttar Pradesh Government submitted misleading information before the Supreme Court regarding his medical status.
The Supreme Court on April 28 had directed Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan to be shifted from Mathura Jail in Uttar Pradesh to a government hospital in Delhi for medical treatment.
According to the order he was shifted from Mathura Jail to AIIMS, New Delhi and was procuring treatment since April 30.
However, it was alleged that no status of his medical condition was made available to his family members or his lawyer till May 7, 2021.
The Notice alleged that the Supreme Court’s order was violated as Mr. Siddique Kappan was discharged from the hospital despite his recovery on May 7 and transferred back to Mathura Jail.
It was also alleged that Kappan was Covid negative according to Uttar Pradesh Government’s version and Covid positive in a letter received on May 8 by MP E T Mohammed Basheer from AIIMS Hospital.
Further, the notice also stated that the Government of Uttar Pradesh had taken Kappan back to jail, at midnight depriving him of his sleep and was kept like an animal in a shabby environment despite his medical condition as disclosed by Kappan to his wife over the phone on May 7.
On May 4, a representation was made to Senior Superintendent of Jail, District Jail, Mathura after UP Government’s non-response to the grievances of the accused and family members seeking permission to allow Kappan’s wife to meet him, however the permission was refused on ground that no provision was available in the UP-Jail Manual regarding the same.
The Notice further urged the Government to take Kappan back to AIIMS Hospital or any other reputed Hospital in Delhi within 6 hours in an ambulance along with a doctor, failing which the matter would be mentioned at 3 PM before the Chief Justice of India for an immediate hearing.
Journalist Siddique Kappan was arrested along with 3 persons by Uttar Pradesh Police on their way to Hathras on October 3 and charged for arousing communal riots and rattling social harmony along with his co-passengers in wake of the Hathras gangrape-murder case. It was also alleged that he had links with the Popular Front of India.