Attacks – Journalists | Arrests – Journalists

Sidhique Kappan, a 41-year-old journalist for the Malayalam-language news portal Azhimukham, also set out for Bhulgarhi, travelling from Delhi where he had been based for nine years. But his journey turned out to be very different to mine. Mr Kappan was arrested with three other men in a car about 42km (26 miles) short of Hathras. Last week, he completed his 150th day in jail.

In the police lockup that night – according to an account he gave his family and lawyer – Mr Kappan was “dragged and beaten with sticks on thighs, slapped on face, forced to stay awake from 6pm to 6am on the pretext of questioning and subjected to serious mental torture”.

A diabetic, he was also denied his medication, he said. The police have denied his allegations. They say they arrested Mr Kappan because he was going to Hathras as part of a conspiracy to create law and order trouble and foment caste riots. The other three men in the car have been accused of similar offences.