Mohammad Alam, booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), was driving the cab which Journalist Kappan hired to go to Hathras
Team Clarion
LUCKNOW — Mohammad Alam, a cab driver from Delhi arrested, along with others, in October 2020 in the Hathras UAPA Case was granted bail on Tuesday by the Allahabad High Court.
He is one of the accused booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) while on the way to Hathras along with journalist Siddique Kappan to report on the rape and killing of a Dalit woman which had triggered nationwide outrage.
The prosecution’s allegations were that the accused were travelling to Hathras with an intention to disturb harmony in the area.
The bail order was pronounced by a bench of Justices Ramesh Sinha and Saroj Yadav on Tuesday afternoon, reports Bar and Bench.
Advocates Amarjeet Singh Rakhra, Bashith Muni Mishra, Sheeran Mohiuddin Alavi and Saipan Shaikh appeared for the petitioner.
Alam was reportedly driving the cab which was taken by Kappan and the other two accused to travel to Hathras for the purpose of reporting on the gang-rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit girl.
Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan, Campus Front of India office-bearers Atiqur Rahman and Masood Ahmad are the other accused in the case.
Earlier this month, the bail plea moved by Siddique Kappan was rejected by the Allahabad High Court. The Court reasoned that Kappan’s defence that he was visiting Hathras to fulfil his journalistic duty was nullified by the claims made by the prosecution in the charge sheet.
The prosecution’s allegations were that the accused were travelling to Hathras with an intention to disturb harmony in the area.
They were charged under Sections 17 and 18 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and Section 124A (sedition), Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion) and Section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code, along with Sections 65, 72 and 75 of the Information Technology Act.
However, Kappan’s counsel denied all allegations, stating that he was going to Hathras to discharge his duty as a professional journalist, when he was illegally detained by the Uttar Pradesh Police in violation of his fundamental rights. Additionally, it was stated that he never used any platform to spread disharmony or further class or communal conflict.
