Toolkit case: Delhi court reserves order

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 20

Activist Disha Ravi on Saturday told a Delhi court that there was no evidence to show that the toolkit on farmers’ protest was responsible for the Republic Day violence in the Capital, even as the Delhi Police accused her of preparing the toolkit with those advocating ‘Khalistan’. “This was not just a toolkit. The real plan was to defame India and create unrest here,” the police told Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana who reserved his verdict on her bail plea for Tuesday.

Ravi was arrested by the Delhi Police from Bengaluru last weekend and brought to Delhi. She has been booked on sedition and other charges. On Friday, a city court sent her to three-day judicial custody on expiry of her five-day police remand.

During protracted arguments on her bail plea, her counsel Siddharth Agarwal said, “If highlighting farmers’ protest globally is sedition, I’m better in jail.”

As Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the police, questioned her credentials for being in touch with anti-India forces “who are internationally known to have a design”, the court asked, “If I approach a dacoit for temple donation, how do you say that I’m privy to dacoity? What is the material against her?”

The court repeatedly sought to know the evidence connecting Ravi with the violence. “Apart from the Khalistani link and that she was in touch....How do you connect the actual actors with these conspirators?” it asked.

At one stage, the court asked the ASG, “Should I assume that for now there is no direct link?” The ASG said it was under investigation.