Journalist Siddique Kappan, a familiar figure, has been arrested in Kerala, adding to the legal battles already surrounding him. He was out on bail related to a UAPA case when the Kochi police detained him, along with ten others, on Saturday. They face charges of unlawful assembly, obstructing a public way, and assaulting police officers. The arrests were triggered by a protest against the Maharashtra ATS’s arrest of Rejesh M. Sheeba Siddique, whose arrest related to his comments on Operation Sindoor. The police report that Kappan and the others were engaged in unlawful assembly, obstruction of public roads, disruption of public order, and assault on police officers. The demonstration was organized by the Rejesh Solidarity Forum, with Kappan addressing the gathering near the High Court Junction. Among those arrested are advocate Pramod Puzhankara, C.P. Rasheed, Sajid Khalid, Dr. Hari, Bhaburaj Bhagwati, Ambika, and Mridula Bhavani. The police stated that approximately 30 people initiated slogans in support of Rejesh using a public address system, without permission, causing public inconvenience. When police requested they leave, they refused, leading to their removal. An FIR was filed under sections 189(2), 190, and 285 of the Indian Justice Code (BNS), along with sections 118(e) and 117(e) of the Kerala Police Act, with charges including unlawful assembly and obstructing a public way. Prior to this, BJP leaders in Ernakulam had alerted the police, expressing concerns that Kappan was breaching his bail terms and that the gathering should be halted. Rejesh Siddique, a student activist and independent journalist from Kerala, was arrested in May from Nagpur and charged under UAPA for social media posts against Operation Sindoor and Operation Kagar. Siddique Kappan was originally arrested by Uttar Pradesh police in October 2020 while traveling to cover the Hathras rape case and was charged under UAPA. He is currently out on bail in that case.
