Activist Disha Ravi sent to jail for 3 days in "Toolkit" case

Mangalore Today News Network / NDTV

New Delhi, Feb 19, 2021:      Climate activist Disha Ravi - arrested over a farmers’ protest toolkit linked to Republic Day violence in Delhi - has been sent to jail for three more days after she was produced in a court today by Delhi Police. Ms Ravi, 22, was arrested from her Bengaluru home last week; she faces charges of conspiracy and sedition.

 

The online Google document, which was tweeted by Swedish climate crusader Greta Thunberg earlier this month to back farmers’ protest and then deleted, was created by Ms Ravi and two other activists - Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Muluk, police had said earlier this week. The probe into the toolkit comes as Delhi Police intensifies its investigation into the last month’s violence in the national capital after farmers took out a tractor rally on Republic Day.

Stressing on the possibility of "evidence tampering", the cops today sought three more days of judicial custody for Ms Ravi. "We have issued notices to several others to join the probe. In this case, we have issued notice to Shantanu and we want to confront Disha and Shantanu," Delhi Police told a district court where Ms Ravi was produced; she was in police custody for five days.  

Last week, Ms Ravi’s arrest had sparked huge outrage with many opposition leaders called it "atrocious"; farmer leaders had also condemned it. "I did not make the toolkit. We wanted to support the farmers. I edited two lines on February 3," Disha Ravi had told a Delhi court on Sunday.

Amid criticism, however, Delhi Police had justified the action. "Highly incriminating information was recovered from Disha’s phone, which made it clear that she made the document (toolkit) along with Shantanu and Nikita and sent it to others," senior Delhi Police officer Prem Nath told reporters on Monday."The main aim of the toolkit was to spread misinformation against the lawfully elected government. They also sought public participation in the action on January 26, Republic Day of India. We acted against Disha because she deleted a WhatsApp group created to coordinate for the toolkit," he had said.