Farmers Movement Archive

Toolkit case: Disha Ravi sent to fresh 1-day police custody

A Delhi court on Monday sent climate activist Disha Ravi to one-day police custody. She was arrested by the police in connection with an online toolkit which the cops claimed was created by her in support of farmers protesting against Centre's farm laws.The police had asked for a fresh five-day custody of Ravi.Ravi was presented in court after her three-day judicial custody ended. The 22-year-old was arrested on February 13 and initially sent to five-day police custody.The police said that they require Ravi's custody to question her along with two other accused on the case - activists Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Muluk. Appearing on behalf of police, public prosecutor Vikas Singh said that the present request for police custody is not a punishment, but rather would be helpful to Ravi because she is shifting the blame on the other two accused.Ravi's lawyer Siddharth Agarwal opposed police's demand saying she has already been questioned by the police and facts conveyed in the earlier remand application."The police have a right to interrogate the accused even in the jail. Why would you require to take her in police custody?" asked Agarwal. He also pointed out that an order on her bail plea is expected on Tuesday.While Delhi Police had arrested Bengaluru-based Ravi, Jacob and Muluk were granted pre-arrest bail by a court.Ravi's bail plea is already pending before Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana, who is expected to pass an order on Tuesday. During the last hearing on Saturday, the judge posed some scathing questions to the police, asking it if it was only acting on "surmises, inferences, and conjectures" and questioned how the toolkit was connected to the violence during the farmers' march.The police had claimed that Ravi was part of an international plan to instigate violence in India and had deleted "evidence" like emails.

Hindustan Times

22-02-2021

India