A court in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura dropped proceedings on charges related to apprehension of breach of peace against Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan and three others on Tuesday as the police failed to complete the inquiry against them within the prescribed period of six months, the defence counsel said.

Siddique Kappan and his alleged associates, who were suspected to be linked to the radical group Popular Front of India (PFI), were arrested on October 5 when they were on their way to UP's Hathras village after the alleged gangrape and murder of a girl.