Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 28
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to shift ailing Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan from a hospital in Mathura to a hospital in the national capital for medical treatment.
He was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, in October last year while on his way to Hathras to cover a gang-rape of a Dalit woman.
“We direct the UP government to shift Kappan to RML Hospital, or AIIMS or any other government hospital…He be transferred back to jail after doctor certify him to have recovered,” a Bench led by CJI NV Ramana said.
As Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested the Bench to direct a hospital to vacate a bed for a non-covid positive patient, the CJI said, “Mr Mehta, you sort it out with the government. Leave it here.”
Kappan’s wife Raihanth Kappan and Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) had sought the court’s immediate intervention, alleging that he has been chained to his hospital bed in Mathura despite being Covid positive.
Disposing of their petitions, the Bench said the accused may approach the subordinate court for regular bail.
Mehta told the Bench that Kappan was a covid-negative patient and was getting treatment for his other ailments.
In the pre-lunch session, the court had asked the UP government to inform it by 1 pm if it’s ready to shift Kappan from Mathura to Delhi for better treatment.
Mehta had opposed it saying thousands of inmates with similar health problems were there. He wondered if the court should order their admission in Delhi hospitals, which are already packed beyond capacity.
“Why should a man accused under UAPA and associated with a banned organisation get such a preferential treatment?” he asked.
The Supreme Court had on Tuesday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to produce all medical reports of Kappan, who was arrested on October 5 last year under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 — the top court had posted the matter for hearing on Wednesday.
The UP government had refuted the allegation that Kappan was chained.
According to Uttar Pradesh Police, the investigation conducted found that he was a PFI activist who attempted to create caste, communal tension in Hathras and the newspaper he claimed to represent had already shut down two years ago.
The Supreme Court had on February 15 given a five-day interim bail to Kappan to visit Kerala to meet his 90-year-old ailing mother.
However, it had restrained him from giving any interviews to the media, including social media; and meeting members of the public, except his own relatives and doctors.
The order had come on a petition by KUWJ challenging his arrest.