A journalist from Kerala and three others have been charged under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA, and sedition by the Uttar Pradesh police after they were arrested on their way to Hathras earlier this week.
In a statement issued after the 4 people were arrested on Monday, the UP Police said that they arrested journalist Siddique Kappan, Atiq-ur Rehman, Masood Ahmed and Alam after a tip-off that "suspicious people" were on their way to Hathras from Delhi. The police also claimed that the 4 men had mentioned during questioning that they had links to Popular Front of India and its affiliate.
Kappan is a contributor for a popular Kerala-based website and is also the secretary of the Delhi unit of Kerala Union of Working Journalists.