Journalist Siddique Kappan, who is in jail since last year after being arrested while on his way to Uttar Pradesh's Hathras to report on the alleged gang-rape of a Dalit woman, has lost his mother, resports said on Friday.

According to a report by ndtv.com, Kappan’s mother was over 90 years old and had been ill for a long time. Her funeral will be held on Friday, which means he will not be able to perform her last rites or say goodbye to her.

A trial court in UP’s Mathura district will take up Kappan’s bail plea for hearing on June 22.

He had last met his mother in February, when the Supreme Court had granted him bail for five days.

The court had said Kappan could only speak to relatives and doctors treating his mother. He was escorted by cops at all times; UP Police was ordered to arrange for his travel and return, the report by ndtv.com says.

Sources, as quoted by ndtv.com, said Kappan had then told his relatives to arrange an immediate funeral for his mother when she died.

Kappan had been admitted to the Mathura hospital after he fell unconscious in jail and tested positive for the coronavirus.

Kappan's wife Raihanth Kappan had written to CJI NV Ramana seeking his immediate release from the hospital, alleging he is "chained like an animal in a cot" there.

The FIR against Kappan and three others has been filed under various provisions of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for having alleged links with the PFI.

The police had said it arrested four people having links with the PFI in Mathura -- Siddique from Malappuram, Atiq-ur Rehman from Muzaffarnagar, Masood Ahmed from Bahraich and Alam from Rampur.

Kappan was arrested on way to Hathras, which has been in the news following the death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman who was allegedly gang-raped on September 14, 2020, in a village in the district.