A Delhi court on Tuesday granted bail to climate change activist Disha Ravi, arrested in connection with allegedly being involved in sharing a “toolkit” on social media related to the farmers’ protest, saying that “being editor of toolkit not an offence.”
“In my considered opinion, creation of a WhatsApp group or being editor of an innocuous Toolkit is not an offence,” said Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana.
The court also said that the evidence produced by police was scanty and sketchy. The creation of a WhatsApp group or being the editor of an “innocuous Toolkit” is not an offence, said the court.
Later on Tuesday night, Ravi was released from Tihar jail after prison authorities completed all formalities regarding her release, said an official.
The sessions court of Patiala House allowed the bail plea of Ravi. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana granted bail on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 1,00,000 with two surety in like amount, noting the accused had absolutely no criminal antecedents.
“Considering the scanty and sketchy evidence, I do not find any palpable reason to breach the rule of bail for a 22-year-old girl who has absolutely no criminal antecedent,” the judge said. Ravi, facing charges of conspiracy and sedition, was arrested by a Cyber Cell team of the Delhi Police from Bengaluru and brought to Delhi. Her police custody ends today.
The Delhi Police had contended that the Google document tweeted by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg to back the farmers’ protest and then deleted, was created by Ravi and two other activists — lawyer Nikita Jacob and activist Shantanu Muluk.