New Delhi: The Supreme Court today deferred the hearing of a plea challenging the illegal detention of Kerala Journalist Siddiqui Kappan when he was on his way to Hathras to cover a rape and murder incident involving a Dalit girl.
The bench led by the Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde, was hearing a plea filed by Kerela Union of Working Journalists(KUWJ) challenging the detention. The union has opposed the detention saying its illegal, FIR is false, the lawyers were not allowed to meet him and that he was slapped and beaten with a lathi.
Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, told the court today that the investigation has revealed some shocking details which Sibal denied and said there is nothing in it. If you read the FIR there is nothing at all, they have mentioned a website which does not exist, said Sibal.
He added that a number of some random person was given claiming him to be Siddiqui's brother which he is not.
CJI suggested Sibal approach the HC but Sibal said that he already went there with a habeas corpus. Mentioning Republic TV Editor in Chief, Arnab Goswami's case, Sibal said that the trials were pending and yet this court interfered in the matter and granted him liberty. CJI responded back saying that every case is not the same.
Sibal informed the court that by next hearing he will implead Siddique's wife in the matter.
The matter will be heard again next week.
Read: Kappan beaten, subjected to mental torture in custody: Journalists' body to SC
