The Delhi Police has reached out to video conferencing platform Zoom, seeking details of the alleged pro-Khalistan participants of an online meeting organised on 11 January, for the purpose of preparing a 'toolkit' supporting the farmers' protest, officials said on Tuesday, 16 February, PTI reported.
The Delhi Police has already arrested 21-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi over the creation of the toolkit document.
The police alleged that Mumbai-based lawyer Nikita Jacob and Pune-based engineer Shantanu were among around 70 people who had attended the video meeting on Zoom, which took place days before the violence during the farmers’ tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day.
PTI quoted an official as saying, ‘Delhi Police has written to video conferencing app Zoom seeking details of participants who attended the meeting on 11 January.’
Joint Commissioner of Police (Cyber) Prem Nath on Monday claimed Shantanu was the owner of the email account from which the toolkit was created.
The police further said that the zoom meeting was attended by Jacob and Shantanu, and was organised by the Poetic Justice foundation, which the police deems a pro-Khalistani organisation, in which ‘the modalities of the Global Day of Action (26 January) were worked out.’
"PJF founder Mo Dhaliwal had contacted them through a Canada-based woman named Punit," Nath added, as per PTI.
‘Law Equal for All, No Lapses in Arrest’
While the police deems the ‘toolkit’ document to be seditious and behind the violence of Republic Day, Ravi has denied being a part of any conspiracy in court.
"I was just supporting farmers,” she said, as she broke down in Delhi court on Sunday.
Responding to reports of due procedures not being followed in her arrest, Delhi CP SN Srivastava said, as per ANI, “As far as Disha's arrest is concerned, it was done as per the procedures. Law doesn't differentiate between a 22-year-old and a 50-year-old. She was produced before a court which sent her to five-day police custody. It's false when people say that there were lapses in the arrest.”
On Monday, a memorandum signed by 70 prominent Bengaluru-based activists was submitted to the city CP, stating that Ravi’s arrest was “carried out arbitrarily and in complete violation of procedures established both in constitutional and criminal law.”
It further noted that she was not given a chance to contact her legal counsel before being transported to Delhi, and according to procedures, should have been produced before a local magistrate first.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
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