Tag: Disha Ravi police custody

Twenty-two-year-old activist Disha Ravi, who was arrested in reference to a toolkit on the farmer protests that was tweeted by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, was granted bail by a Sessions Court in Delhi on Tuesday. The court docket order comes as a blow to the Delhi Police, which had alleged that the activist was the “key conspirator” within the formulation and dissemination of the doc and that she collaborated with pro-Khalistani group Poetic Justice Foundation (PJF) to “spread disaffection against Indian state”.
In the bail order, Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana famous that the accused had “absolutely no criminal antecedents”. Ravi was granted bail on a private bond of Rs 1 lakh and two sureties of like quantity.

Here are the highest quotes from Judge Rana’s order:
* “Considering the scanty and sketchy evidence available on record, I do not find any palpable reasons to breach the general rule of ‘Bail’ against a 22-year-old young lady, with absolutely blemish-free criminal antecedents and having firm roots in the society, and send her to jail.”
* “In my considered opinion, Citizens are conscience keepers of government in any democratic Nation. They cannot be put behind the bars simply because they choose to disagree with the State policies. The offence of sedition cannot be invoked to minister to the wounded vanity of the governments.”
* “Investigating agency can’t be permitted to further restrict the liberty of citizen on basis of propitious anticipations.”
* “Citizens are conscience keepers of government. They cannot be jailed simply because they choose to disagree with state policies.”
* The court docket quoted a phrase from Rig Veda to underscore respect for divergence in opinion. “This 5000-year-old civilisation of ours has never been averse to ideas from varied quarters,” the court docket order learn.
* “Even our founding fathers accorded due respect to the divergence of opinion by recognising the freedom of speech and expression as an inviolable fundamental right. The right to dissent is firmly enshrined under Article 19 of The Constitution of India.”
* “In my considered opinion, freedom of speech and expression includes the right to seek a global audience. There are no geographical barriers to communication. A Citizen has the fundamental right to use the best means of imparting and receiving communication, as long as the same is permissible under the four corners of law and as such have access to an audience abroad.”
* “Since the link with the said toolkit or PJF has not been found to be objectionable, mere deletion of the WhatsApp chat to destroy the evidence linking her with the toolkit and PJF, also becomes meaningless.”
* “I’m also conscious of the fact that the investigation is at a nascent stage and police is in the process of collecting more evidence, however, the investigating agency made a conscious choice to arrest the applicant accused upon the strength of material so far collected and now they cannot be permitted to further restrict the liberty of a citizen on the basis of propitious anticipations.”

* “Still further, there is nothing on record to suggest that there was any call, incitement, instigation or exhortation on the part of the applicant/accused and the above said organisations and its associates to foment violence on January 26, 2021.”
* “In the absence of any evidence to the effect that the applicant/accused agree or shared a common purpose to cause violence on January 26, 2021 with the founders of PJF, it cannot be presumed by resorting to surmises or conjectures that she also supported the secessionist tendencies or the violence caused on January 26 simply because she shared a platform with people, who have gathered to oppose the legislation.”

A Sessions Court in Delhi Tuesday granted bail to local weather activist Disha Ravi, who was arrested in reference to a toolkit on the farmers’ protest that was tweeted by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. The court docket noticed that the police investigation within the case was “scanty and sketchy”.
Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana granted bail to Ravi on the situation of two sureties of Rs one lakh every of the like quantity. In his order granting bail, Rana stated, “Considering the scanty and sketchy investigation, I do not find any palpable reason to breach the rule of bail for a 22-year-old girl who has absolutely no criminal antecedents.”
The court docket has requested Ravi to not go away the nation with out its permission and to cooperate with the investigation.

The police produced Ravi on the court docket of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma and moved an utility for additional 4 days of custody. However, the demand was dismissed after the court docket was knowledgeable that Ravi has been granted bail.
Furthermore, co-accused Shantanu Muluk, who had secured transit bail, have now moved an anticipatory bail earlier than the identical court docket which shall be heard on Wednesday.
Bengaluru-based Ravi, 22, was arrested on February 13 together with two different activists in reference to a toolkit on the farmers’ protest, which had been tweeted by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. Ravi used to volunteer for Thunberg’s Fridays for Future (FFF) organisation in Bengaluru.
The Delhi Police has alleged that Ravi was the “key conspirator” within the formulation and dissemination of the doc and that she collaborated with pro-Khalistani group Poetic Justice Foundation to “spread disaffection against Indian state” and in addition shared the doc with Thunberg. The police additionally claimed that Ravi had despatched the toolkit to Thunberg via the Telegram app, and in addition “coaxed her to act on it”.

During the bail listening to, Rana had questioned the police on many sides of the case together with whether or not Ravi will be imputed with the actions of Khalistani sympathisers, what was the proof connecting Ravi to these concerned within the violence on Republic Day and the way was the toolkit linked to the violence. The court docket had reserved it’s order for Tuesday.
The police had informed the court docket that the toolkit “seemed innocuous” nevertheless it had hyperlinks taking the consumer to web sites which “defamed the Indian Army” like “current genocide alert” which had contents on “genocide in Kashmir” and the citizenship concern in Assam.
The court docket, whereas listening to arguments, had requested the police, “Is there any evidence? or are we required to draw any inferences and conjectures?”
The police had informed the court docket that co-accused Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Muluk attended a Zoom assembly on January 11, 2020 with “60-70 people across the globe” together with Dhaliwal and Lal. Following this, the accused individuals, together with Ravi, mentioned the Toolkit on WhatsApp, which was created on January 28, “subject to certain modification by applicant”.
The court docket was informed that this toolkit was shared by Shantanu to PJF. Ravi consented to this by sending a message that she learn it, and as per their plan Shantanu got here to Delhi days earlier than the violence to hold out their plans.
Ravi’s attorneys had informed the court docket that there was no proof towards Ravi and “having a difference of opinion does not amount to sedition”.
On Monday, the Justice of the Peace had remanded Ravi to one-day police custody,  observing that whereas the case towards the activist entails “allegations to spread hatred, disaffection” to “undermine India’s sovereignty”, “a balance must be struck with the individual’s right”. He had additional stated Ravi’s confrontation together with her co-accused was vital as “the role played by each of them in deletion of the original toolkit would come to light, which is very necessary for a fair investigation”.

Ravi was delivered to the Delhi Police Cyber Cell workplace to be confronted with co-accused Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Muluk. Jacob and Muluk had earlier secured transit bail from the Bombay High Court, offering them safety from arrest.