The Uttar Pradesh government told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that "shocking findings" have emerged in the investigation so far in the case in which Kerala-based scribe Siddique Kappan was arrested on his way to Hathras, where a young Dalit woman had died after allegedly being gang-raped. Kappan claimed that he is working as a journalist in a Kerala-based daily but that newspaper was closed two years back, the state government told a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde.

"Investigation conducted so far has found some shocking findings," Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench, which also comprised Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian. The apex court, which was hearing a plea filed by Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) questioning Kappan's arrest, asked the petitioner as to whether they would like to move the high court. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for KUWJ, said he would argue the matter in the apex court and the petitioner would implead Kappan's wife and others in the plea.  The high court has granted one month's time on habeas corpus plea of other accused in the same case and I want to argue here, Sibal said, adding, Hear me finally.

Mehta, who said the lawyer has met Kappan, argued that the accused is not the party here in the matter. Sibal referred to the case of journalist Arnab Goswami, who was granted interim bail by the apex court in an alleged abetment to suicide case, and said he would rely on that verdict as a law has been laid down in it. Every case is different, the bench observed, adding, You show us any precedent where an association had moved the court seeking relief. We want to hear the case as per the law and the matter should have been heard in the high court, the bench said and posted the matter for hearing next week.

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