The report by Malayalam media outlet Janmabhumi read that the members of the PFI hit squad were individually selected and coached by PFI's 'think tank' Siddique Kappan to kill the BJP leaders
The government in the Supreme Court had stated that Siddique Kappan was an office-bearer of the now banned Islamist organisation Popular Front of India(PFI) and was on his way to Hathras pretending to be a newspaper journalist from a Kerala-based outlet called ‘Tejas’ that was closed in 2018.
Siddique Kappan, associated with PFI, was arrested by the UP Police on October 5, 2020, while he was proceeding to cover the Hathras case where a 19-year-old Dalit woman had died after a strangulation attempt.
The state of Uttar Pradesh has filed a Statement of Objections, sworn to by the Deputy SP, STF Unit Agra, Uttar Pradesh, the Investigating Officer in the Hathras conspiracy case, opposing the bail plea of UAPA accused Siddique Kappan.