He did not write like a 'responsible' journalist: Why UP police wants Siddique Kappan in jail

A note attached to the chargesheet filed against journalist Siddique Kappan by Uttar Pradesh police’s special task force reveals that the police analysed the reporter’s news reports to conclude that he did not write like a “responsible” journalist, and that his work included “only and only reports to incite Muslims”, the Indian Express reported today.

Kappan was arrested on October 5 last year while on his way to Hathras to report on the gangrape and death of a Dalit girl. He was booked under the UAPA and charges of sedition, and has been in jail ever since.

The 5,000-page chargesheet was filed by special task force in April this year. The note is from a case diary by an investigating officer, and highlights sections from 36 articles written by Kappan on topics like the Delhi riots, the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the citizenship law protests, and the Nizamuddin Markaz.

The diary note alleges that Kappan wrote to "sympathise with Maoists and Communists", Express reported. The police claimed Kappan portrayed the Muslim community as "victims". Referencing Kappan's report on the CAA protests in Aligarh Muslim University, the case diary note said, "It is evident from the writing that it has been done to incite Muslims."

The note concluded that the “writings of Siddique Kappan, to a great extent, can be classified as communal” and that “responsible journalists do not do such communal reporting”.