Activist Disha Ravi Sent To Fresh 1-Day Police Custody In 'Toolkit' Case

Disha Ravi, the 22-year-old climate activist arrested in the 'Toolkit' case earlier this month, has been sent on fresh one-day police custody. The Delhi court, before which she was produced after being arrested from Bengaluru, had reserved the order on her bail request last week.

The Delhi Police has accused Ms Ravi and activists Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Muluk of collaborating with the pro-Khalistani group Poetic Justice Foundation for creating the "toolkit" - allegedly linked to the farmers' protest on January 26 - to trigger dissatisfaction against the government. They have also accused the three of trying to revive a pro-Khalistani group.

While filing her bail plea last week, Ms Ravi had said the "toolkit" was merely a "resource document" and did not "sow disaffection". She said that as an activist, her cause was the environment and agriculture, not Khalistan.

While Ms Ravi was arrested in the case on February 13, triggering outrage, non-bailable warrants against the other two activists had been issued by the Delhi Police last week. They later received interim protection from arrest from the Bombay High Court by way of anticipatory bails.

Last week, during Ms Ravi's bail hearing, the Delhi Police's reasoning about the activists being in league with secessionists and conspiring to cause the violence during the farmers' tractor rally was severely put to test, with the judge dubbing it "conjecture".

"What is the evidence collected by you to show the link between her and the January 26 violence? You have argued about her role in the toolkit and she is in touch with the secessionists," the judge had said.

When the Delhi Police argued that "Conspiracy can be seen only through circumstantial evidence," the judge shot back, "So you don't have any evidence to connect Disha with the January 26 violence?"
The Delhi Police had registered a sedition case earlier this month over the "Toolkit", which made headlines after being tweeted by Swedish climate activist Greata Thunberg on February 3.

After maintaining silence over the controversy for several days, Ms Thunberg on Saturday showed solidarity with Ms Ravi in a tweet. "Freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest and assembly are non-negotiable human rights. These must be a fundamental part of any democracy," she wrote with #StandWithDishaRavi".