21-year-old activist Disha Ravi arrested in Bengaluru in 'toolkit' case

Disha Ravi, a 21-year-old climate activist, has been arrested from Bengaluru by Delhi Police, alleging that she was a "key conspirator" in the formulation of toolkit document, a guide on how to support the ongoing farmers' protest, which was shared by teenage activist Greta Thunberg.

She was arrested from her residence in Bengaluru on Saturday following an FIR filed on February 4 invoking sedition, promoting enmity among people and criminal conspiracy among others and brought to Delhi late evening.

On Sunday, a court sent her to five day police custody for interrogation. In the court, Disha broke down and told the judge that she had edited only two lines and that she wanted to support the farmers' protest even as investigators claimed she edited the toolkit on February 3 and several others were involved in its preparation and dissemination.

Read | R-Day violence: Delhi Police seek details of 'toolkit' from Google, social media giants

Delhi Police claimed that she was an "editor of the toolkit document and key conspirator in document's formulation and dissemination". It said she started a WhatsApp Group and collaborated to make the toolkit document.

"She worked closely with them to draft the document. In this process, they all collaborated with the pro-Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation to spread disaffection against the Indian State. She was the one who shared the Toolkit Doc with Greta Thunberg," it claimed.

"Later, she asked Greta to remove the main document after its incriminating details accidentally got into public domain. This is many times more than the two lines editing that she claims," police said in a statement.

Disha's arrest attracted criticism with senior Congress MPs Jairam Ramesh and Shashi Tharoor supporting the young activist. "Completely atrocious! This is unwarranted harassment and intimidation. I express my full solidarity with Disha Ravi," Ramesh tweeted.

Referring to terror accused former DySP Davinder Singh, Tharoor tweeted, "activists in jail while accused terrorists are on bail. Wondering how our authorities would commemorate this case on the anniversary of Pulwama Attacks?"

Former Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Gowda tweeted, "An activist who stands up for farmers, fights for our planet, is arrested on flimsy grounds. Has the government lost its balance? Will not such trumped-up charges, seeing conspiracy in regular social media mobilisation, do more damage to democracy? #IndiaWontBeSilenced #SpeakUpForDisha."

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said, "Modi regime thinks by arresting a granddaughter of farmers, under Sedition, it can weaken the farmers’ struggles. In fact, it will awaken the youth of the country and strengthen the struggles for democracy."

Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the umbrella organisation spearheading the farmers agitation, condemned Disha's arrest, saying she stood in support of the farmers. "We also demand her immediate unconditional release," it said.

A graduate in Bachelor of Business Administration from a private college in Bengaluru, Disha is one of the founding members of a group named 'Fridays For Future India'.

Delhi Police had said that the toolkit found on a social media platform predates and indicates a copycat execution of a conspiracy behind the January 26 violence and the call was to wage "economic, social, cultural and regional war against India".

Investigators also seized her laptop and mobile phone for scientific examination. Probe is also on to ascertain the identity of other people who were in touch with Disha in connection with the case.

"The action plan delineated in the toolkit reveals copy-cat execution of the events on January 26 and around it. No one has been named as accused in the case," a senior police official claimed.

Earlier, the Delhi Police had asked Google and social media platforms to provide information about email ids, URLs and social media accounts related to the creators of the "toolkit" shared by Greta and others.