Siddique Kappan was on his way to report on the gang rape and murder of a Dalit teenager in Uttar Pradesh when he was arrested on 5 October 2020. The 5,000-page charge sheet reportedly accused the Muslim journalist of being paid to cause trouble, including ‘to incite Muslims’. It included excerpts from 36 articles Kappan had written about ongoing religious and sectarian tensions in India.1
He spent over two years in jail before getting bail in February 2023. But Kappan seemed undaunted on his release. In a media interview, he said: ‘Journalism is not a crime. I will continue my fight against draconian laws.’2
