Disha Ravi was arrested at her home in Bengaluru last week (Archive)
New Delhi:
Disha Ravi, the 22-year-old climate activist arrested on February 13 in connection with the “toolkit” case, was released on bail by a session court in Delhi on Tuesday afternoon, subject to the provision of two personal guarantees of 1 lakh rupees each.
“Taking into account the scant and incomplete evidence recorded, I do not find any palpable reason to violate the bail rule for a 22-year-old girl who has no criminal record,” said additional sessions judge Dharmendra Rana in his release order. on bail.
Shortly after, a second judge, Pankaj Sharma, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of the Patiala House Court, resolved a request from the Delhi police requesting extended custody of Ms. Ravi; the police had requested four more days of detention.
Ms. Ravi has already spent six days in police custody and two in jail.
Bail was granted today after the court reserved his order on Saturday.
At today’s brief hearing, Ms. Ravi’s legal representative emphasized in court that she had no ties to the Khalistani movement and that a sedition case could not be upheld.
Delhi police, who are opposed to granting bail, said Ravi could alter the evidence if she was released.
At last week’s hearing, Judge Rana had discovered loopholes in the argument that Ms. Ravi and two other people, activist Shantanu Muluk and lawyer Nikita Jacob, were allied with secessionists and conspired to cause violence during the demonstration. of Republic Day tractors.
The judge called the Delhi police’s reasoning “conjecture”.
“What is the evidence collected by you to show the link between her and the violence of January 26? You have argued about her role in the toolbox and (that) she (is) in contact with secessionists,” he began.
When the police, represented by Additional Attorney General SV Raju, said that “the conspiracy can only be seen through circumstantial evidence”, the judge replied: “So you have no evidence linking Disha to the violence of 26 January?”
To underline the point, he added: “How do you connect real offenders with Disha?”
After learning that those involved in the violence of the tractor rally were arrested in another case, the judge noted: “Where is the connection between conspiracy and crime? I still do not have the answer.”
Attorney Siddharth Agarwal, who appeared on Ravi’s behalf, said he had had no contact with secessionists.
There is no evidence to show that “she is a (a secessionist),” Ms. Ravi’s attorney had said, adding that the only text messages sent (by the police as proof of her claims) were with PJF (Poetic Justice Foundation), which is not a prohibited organization.
The only banned organization in this case is Sikh For Justice, “but even the Delhi police case shows no connection between them and me,” added Ms Ravi’s lawyer.
Disha Ravi is accused of creating and disseminating an online document related to the farmers’ protest against the center’s agricultural laws, a document that police say was aimed at reviving a Khalistani group and was part of a global conspiracy to ” spread discontent against the Indian state. “
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