Farmers Movement Archive

Toolkit case: Activist Kar Chaudhari’s pre-arrest bail plea hearing today

A Delhi court will on Friday hear the anticipatory bail plea of climate activist Shubham Kar Chaudhari in connection with his alleged role in the toolkit case related to the farmers’ protest. Additional sessions judge Dharmender Rana is likely to hear the plea. Earlier, the Goa bench of Bombay high court had granted him protection from arrest until March 12 so that he can approach the court in Delhi, where an FIR had been registered under IPC Sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).The same court has already extended interim protection from arrest to Shantanu Muluk and Nikita Jacob till March 15 in the same FIR.Also Read | Nikita, Shantanu, get protection from arrest till March 15Additional session judge Rana had earlier granted regular bail to climate activist Disha Ravi in the case. The 21-year-old activist was arrested from Bengaluru in connection with the formulation and dissemination of the toolkit document in support of the ongoing farmers’ protest. The police registered the case on February 4 for sedition, promoting hatred among groups and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) after Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg tweeted the toolkit while expressing her support to the farmers’ protest in India. They have alleged that the toolkit was created not just by activists but in collaboration with pro-Khalistani organisations.Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national Capital since November last year, against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

Hindustan Times

12-03-2021

Delhi