The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday claimed in the Supreme Court that Siddiqui Kappan, secretary of the Dalit unit of Kerala Union of Journalists arrested on the way to Hathras, is a member of the Popular Front of India (PFI) and the PFI is the new incarnation of the banned SIMI.
In an additional affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the state government said that Kappan was associated with PFI and was in constant contact with members of PFI, including P Koya, Abdul Mukti, Salim, Mohammad Faizal, through social media and telephone. Most of them have also been executive members of the banned organization SIMI. The government claims that investigations so far have revealed that most of the members of the PFI were ex-officio members of the banned SIMI organization and have close ties with Kappan. Documents recovered during the investigation revealed that both the PFI and SIMI organizations have similar intent, ideology, and temperament.
The state government also alleged that the Kerala Union of Working Journalists, New Delhi, has actually petitioned the organization for which Kappan was working. The government has also stated that the petitioner organization, whose secretary is Kappan, is facing a vigilance inquiry into embezzlement and misuse of public funds. Opposing Kappan's bail application, the state government claimed that if his application is accepted at this stage then it is interference in the investigation. This would allow the accused to engage in similar activities and would not be available to the investigating agency.
Also involved in suspicious financial transactions
On Monday, a bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde decided to consider the petitioner's application in January, asking the UP government to file a reply on the additional affidavit of the UP government. In the additional affidavit, the state government also alleged that Kappan and three other co-accused were involved in the suspected financial transactions. The co-accused Masood is funded by PFI. Co-accused Atik ur Rehman is funded by Rauf Sharif of the Campus Front of India. The Campus Front of India receives crores of funds from various national and international dubious sources. On Saturday, the ED arrested Sharif from Thiruvananthapuram Airport in Kerala.
They were also in contact with the accused of the Delhi riots
The state government also claimed that Kappan and other co-accused were in contact with MDs Danish and Sharif accused in the Delhi riots case and were heading to Hathras in a pre-planned manner to carry out illegal activities. Their aim was to disrupt public peace by creating conflict between caste and class. The government also said that Kappan had worked for the 2018 newspaper Tejas, which was an acclaimed mouthpiece for the PFI. The views of this newspaper were so fierce that it called terrorist Osama bin Laden a martyr.