A Delhi court on Tuesday, 16 February allowed 21-year-old Disha Ravi, who has been arrested over a toolkit in connection to the farmers’ protest, to access a copy of the FIR as well as the remand application which was opposed by Delhi Police.
In a plea moved by Disha’s advocates, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma also allowed the environment activist to get warm clothes, masks, books, etc and make contact with her mother and family for 15 minutes every day, reported Bar and Bench.
Ravi will be allowed to speak to her lawyer for 30 minutes on a daily basis. She is to be in police custody till 19 February.
Background
The Delhi Police on Monday said that an “action plan” for 26 January was laid out in a toolkit, which was created by climate activists Shantanu, Disha Ravi, and Nikita Jacob in order to ‘spread misinformation and disaffection against the government’.
Violence had erupted in parts of Delhi on 26 January during the farmers’ Republic Day tractor rally.
The police has alleged that the toolkit sought to artificially amplify fake news and precipitate action on 26 January.
“The main aim of the toolkit was to create misinformation and disaffection against the lawfully enacted government. It sought to artificially amplify fake news, other falsehoods, and also sought to precipitate action on 26 January, ie India’s Republic Day,” the police said in a statement.
The police’s version comes in contrast to Ravi’s claims she made in the court following her arrrest, that she was not a creator of the toolkit but only edited two lines in the document.
While the police also issued non-bailable warrants against Jacob and Shantanu in the matter, it said that highly incriminating evidence was found in Ravi’s phone who was arrested from Bengaluru.
(With inputs from Bar and Bench)
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