Toolkit case against Disha Ravi makes no headway, maybe trashed

New Delhi: The Delhi police who arrested climate activist Disha Ravi in connection with a toolkit allegation related to farmers protest in February is unlikely to file a chargesheet against her in the absence of cooperation either from Google or from Zoom.

The Delhi police probe has made no headway in the toolkit case against Disha as Google and Zoom were reported to have shown little interest for deliberation in the investigation. Hence the case under IPC sections relating to sedition, promoting enmity and criminal conspiracy does not stand against Disha, according to a report published in The Indian Express.

In the absence of progress, the Delhi police may drop the case filing a closure report, the IE report further claimed.

Disha was arrested from her residence in Bengaluru on February 13 after the Delhi police implicated her in the case accusing her of being a key conspirator in the private circulation of a toolkit in the form of a Google document on the farmer protests. The Delhi police acted after Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg had shared the document on Twitter.

Besides Disha, Mumbai-based advocate Nikita Jacob and engineer Shantanu were also arrested on the allegation of associating with Disha in making and editing the alleged toolkit. While Disha was out on bail ten days after the arrest, Nikita and Shantanu also managed to obtain bail.

In the FIR lodged by Delhi Police against the creators of the toolkit, it was alleged that its contents made it evident that the January 26 "violence" in Delhi during a tractor rally by farmers was a "pre-planned conspiracy" aimed at attacking India's "sovereignty" and "security".

Police had alleged that Ravi helped draft the toolkit and collaborated with "pro-Khalistani group Poetic Justice Foundation" to spread "disaffection against the Indian state".