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regular-article-logo Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Nikita moves HC for anticipatory bail

After Disha Ravi, non-bailable arrest warrants issued against two activists in toolkit document case

Duo accused of being involved in preparing the report and being in touch with pro-Khalistani elements

Our Bureau, Agencies New Delhi Published 15.02.21, 01:01 PM
Nikita Jacob

Nikita Jacob Twitter/@nikitajacob

Non-bailable warrants have been issued against two people for allegedly sharing the "toolkit" related to the farmers' protest on social media, the Delhi Police said on Monday, two days after it arrested climate activist Disha Ravi in connection with the case.

The 21-year-old activist was arrested on Saturday from Bengaluru and sent to five days police remand on Sunday by a Delhi court here.

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The two suspects against whom the non-bailable warrants have been issued include Nikita Jacob and Shantanu, police said, adding that the duo was allegedly involved in preparing the document and was in direct touch with pro-Khalistani elements.

"Non-bailable warrants have been issued against Nikita Jacob and Shantanu. The two are wanted in connection with the toolkit case. They are suspected to be involved in preparing the documents and were also in direct interaction with pro-Khalistani elements," a senior police officer said.

The police are conducting raids in Mumbai and other places to nab the duo. The Delhi Police had on Sunday claimed that Ravi was an editor of the "toolkit Google doc" and "key conspirator" in the document's formulation and dissemination.

Police also alleged that Ravi and others "collaborated with pro-Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation to spread disaffection against the Indian State."

"She was the one who shared the toolkit doc with Greta Thunberg," the Delhi Police claimed in a tweet.

Thunberg, a teen climate activist, had shared the "toolkit" to lend her support to the farmers' agitation against the three agri laws.

In the document, various urgent actions, including creating a Twitter storm and protesting outside Indian embassies, were listed which were needed to be taken to support the farmers' protest.

The toolkit has been cited by some critics as a "proof" of her conspiracy to fuel protests in India.

The police on Sunday told the court that her custody was required to probe an alleged larger conspiracy against the government of India and to ascertain her alleged role relating to the Khalistan movement.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called Ravi's arrest unprecedented attack on democracy while the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is leading the farmers' protest at Delhi's borders, too condemned the activist's arrest and demanded her immediate release.

Thousands of farmers protesting the Centre's new agri laws had clashed with the police during their tractor parade on January 26.

Over 500 police security personnel were injured while one protestor died during the Republic Day violence.

Earlier, the Delhi Police had asked Google and some social media giants to provide information about e-mail id, URLs and certain social media accounts related to the creators of the "toolkit" shared by Thunberg and others on Twitter in connection with the farmers' protest.

Nikita moves HC for transit bail

Nikita Jacob on Monday approached the Bombay High Court seeking transit anticipatory bail.

Jacob's plea seeking urgent hearing was mentioned before the Bombay High Court's single bench of Justice P D Naik on Monday.

The high court said it would hear the plea on Tuesday.

Jacob in her plea sought transit anticipatory bail for a period of four weeks so that she can approach the court concerned in Delhi to apply for pre-arrest bail.

The advocate in her plea said she is unaware whether she is named as an accused or witness in the case.

"However, the applicant (Jacob) fears that she may be arrested due to political vendetta and media trial," her application said.

It further said the FIR registered in the case was "false and baseless" and Jacob has already cooperated with the cyber cell of the Delhi police and recorded her statement.

"Some entity named Legal Rights Observatory appears to have filed a false and baseless complaint with the Delhi police and seeks to pin the blame for violence on January 26, 2021 upon the applicant as well," the plea said.

As per the application, on February 11, a team of Delhi police came to Jacob's house in Goregaon area of Mumbai with a search warrant and seized documents and electronic gadgets.

"The applicant has no religious, political or financial motive or agenda for researching, discussing, editing and circulating communication packs/toolkits for raising awareness, let alone to incite violence, riots and/or cause any other physical harm," the application said.

It said Jacob was a practising advocate in the Bombay High Court who volunteers for environmental causes.

"The applicant was deeply concerned about the recent farm laws and villainising of farmers," the application said.

It said Jacob's personal information and details are being circulated on social media.

The application further said that absolute lies are being spread to incite hate and violence against Jacob by claiming she has ties with political parties like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

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