Disha Ravi was arrested from Bengaluru on Saturday by the Delhi Police
New Delhi:
The Delhi Commission for Women has sent a notice to the Delhi Police on the arrest of 21-year-old climate campaigner Disha Ravi in the “toolkit” case and has sought a report on issues like why she was not provided a lawyer of her choice when produced before a court in Delhi.
Taking cognisance of media reports, the panel in a statement issued today also said that Ms Ravi was produced before a court in Delhi without a lawyer of her choice being present there.
The activist was arrested from Bengaluru on Saturday by the Delhi Police for allegedly creating and sharing a protest “toolkit” backing the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s new agri laws.
Ms Ravi along with Mumbai lawyer Nikita Jacob and Pune engineer Shantanu Muluk created the “toolkit” and shared it with others to tarnish India’s image, the Delhi Police had said on Monday.
The police claimed that she had sent the toolkit to teen climate activist Greta Thunberg through the Telegram app, and also “coaxed her to act on it”. Non-bailable warrants have been issued against Ms Jacob and Mr Muluk, who are missing.
Citing media reports and claims by activists, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) said Disha Ravi was arrested and taken to Delhi from Bengaluru by the police and her whereabouts were not disclosed, not even to her parents.
It has also been alleged that police did not present her at a court in Bengaluru for transit remand, before bringing her to Delhi, it said.
However, Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava on Tuesday said Disha Ravi was arrested in accordance with the law which “doesn’t differentiate between a 22-year-old or a 50-year-old”.
The DCW has asked the Delhi Police to provide a copy of the FIR registered in the matter, reasons for allegedly not producing Ms Ravi before a local court for transit remand, reasons for allegedly not providing a lawyer of her choice when she was produced before the court, and a detailed action taken report, the statement said.
The commission has asked police to provide the information by Friday, it added.
Mr Shrivastava has also said that Disha Ravi has been sent to five-day police custody and the matter was being probed.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)