Ex-Lucknow varsity acting V-C stands surety for Kappan

Ex-Lucknow varsity acting V-C stands surety for Kappan

Siddique Kappan was granted bail on September 9.

Mayank Kumar Lucknow

For ten days after the Supreme Court granted bail to Siddique Kappan, his lawyers could not find a single Uttar Pradesh resident who was ready to come forward to stand surety for the Kerala-based journalist.

Their wait ended on Tuesday when two persons, including former acting Vice-Chancellor of Lucknow University, Roop Rekha Verma, appeared in a Lucknow court as sureties. The identity of the second person was not disclosed by Mr. Kappan’s lawyers.

The apex court had, on September 9, granted bail to Mr. Kappan in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) case, stating that “every citizen has the right to free expression”. The conditions set for his release included producing two individual sureties, who are residents of Uttar Pradesh, having ₹1 lakh worth of value either in their account or by way of assets.

“The two individuals appeared on Tuesday in court as sureties. But the process will take two to three days to be completed, while the court verifies all the details,” Mr. Kappan’s lawyer Mohamad Dhanish said.

However, despite his bail conditions set by SC being fulfilled, the jailed scribe may not be able to walk out of jail soon. He is yet to get relief in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case lodged against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The next hearing in the PMLA case is scheduled for September 23 in a Lucknow court.

Doing my duty

Speaking to The Hindu about her decision to stand as a surety, Ms. Verma, 79, said, “This is the minimum I can do as a concerned citizen in these dark times. I reasoned in my mind... I am not doing anything against the government. I am only helping him to come out of jail and fight his legal battles.”

Ms. Verma, who taught at Lucknow University for almost 40 years, added, “Why does it happen under the present regime that people are arrested for doing their duty on charges of disturbing law and order or treason? What were the ED, NIA and other agencies doing a minute before Mr. Kappan arrived on the scene?”

Ms. Verma was herself among the public figures who expressed solidarity with the family of the Hathras teenage gang-rape victim, for which she was put under house arrest.