Toolkit case: Delhi court grants bail to Disha Ravi, says evidence 'scanty and sketchy'

Additional Session Judge Dharmender Rana granted bail to her on furnishing a bail bond of ₹100,000 with two surety in like amount.

He also noted that 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 have absolutely no criminal antecedent," the judge said.

Nothing on record to suggest that Disha Ravi subscribed to any secessionist idea, said Delhi Court.

The sessions court also said creation of a WhatsApp group or being editor of an innocuous Toolkit is not an offence.

There is absolutely no link established on record between Disha Ravi and banned outfit Sikhs for Justice, it added.

Yesterday, the Delhi court had sent climate activist to one-day judicial custody.

Disha Ravi was produced before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Dr Pankaj Sharma at the end of her earlier three-day judicial custody. Delhi Police on Monday sought five-day remand, according to reports.

Last week, the court had sent Ravi to five-day police custody after it said her custodial interrogation was required to probe an alleged larger conspiracy against the government of India and to ascertain her alleged role relating to the Khalistan movement.

Ravi, arrested by a Cyber Cell team of the Delhi Police from Bengaluru on Saturday, was produced before a court here and police had sought her seven days' custody.

While seeking her custody, the police had told the court that the activist had allegedly edited the "toolkit" on February 3 and many other people were involved in the matter.

A "toolkit" is a document created to explain any issue. It also provides information on what one needs to do to address the issue. This might include information about petitions, details about protests and mass movements.

Earlier, the Delhi Police had asked Google and some social media giants to provide information about email id, URLs and certain social media accounts related to the creators of the "toolkit" shared by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and others on Twitter in connection with the farmers' protest.

The Cyber Cell had lodged an FIR against "pro-Khalistan" creators of the "toolkit" for waging a "social, cultural and economic war against the government of India".

The case against unnamed persons was registered on charges of criminal conspiracy, sedition and various other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The "toolkit" was aimed at spreading disaffection and ill-will against the government of India and creating disharmony among various social, religious and cultural groups, the police had claimed.