Delhi court sends Disha Ravi to one-day police custody in toolkit case

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma allowed custodial interrogation of Ravi after police said she was required to be confronted with co-accused

A Delhi court on Monday sent climate activist Disha Ravi to one day of further police custody in the Google Toolkit document case.

Arrested on February 13, Disha was produced before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma after three days of judicial custody. She had already faced five-day of custodial interrogation.

She is likely to be confronted with co-accused Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Mukul, who allegedly played a role in the creation of the toolkit and participated in a Zoom meeting with members from 'Poetic Justice Foundation'.

Both Jacob, a lawyer and Mukul, an engineer and activist, have joined the probe on Monday after obtaining anticipatory bail from the Bombay High Court.

In Disha's case, the court allowed just one additional day of police remand. She would be produced before the court again on Tuesday.

On Monday, Delhi police, for their part, sought five-day of further custodial interrogation of Disha saying she has to be confronted with Jacob and Mukul.

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The public prosecutor claimed she had blamed the co-accused for creating the document to gather social media support for farmers protest.

Advocate Siddarth Aggarwal, appearing for Disha, opposed the contention by the police, by saying there was nothing that can be achieved only through police custody. He pointed out the bail order for the accused has been reserved for pronouncement of order on Tuesday. He also submitted the police custody cannot be granted just on asking by the prosecutor.

The Delhi police contended if the police remand was not allowed, other accused may take advantage. They also said the case was a complex one with international implication and their effort to finish the investigation at the earliest.

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A sessions court is likely to pronounce its order on a bail plea by Disha on February 23. It had questioned police on her connection to Republic day violence in Delhi that preceded the Google Toolkit document case.

The police opposed the bail application by the activist by saying she remained constantly in touch with people associated with the banned outfit 'Sikhs for Justice' other organisation 'Poetic Justice Foundation' and tried to destroy the evidence.