The Delhi Commission for Women on Tuesday sent a notice to Delhi police on the allegation that due procedure was not followed after climate activist Disha Ravi was arrested from her Bangalore home on Saturday in connection with the “toolkit” sedition case.
The panel asked the police to provide a copy of the FIR, reasons for allegedly not producing Disha before a local court for transit remand, “not providing the lawyer of her choice” when she was produced before the Patiala House court in Delhi on Sunday and a detailed action taken report.
“It has been alleged in the media by some activists that she was taken to Delhi from Bangalore by Delhi police with no disclosure of her whereabouts, not even to her parents. It has also been alleged that she was brought to Delhi from Bangalore without presenting her before a local court for transit remand,” the commission said in its notice.
“It has been further alleged that Disha Ravi was produced before a court in Delhi without a lawyer of her choice being present in the court. This is a very serious matter.”
The commission said: “In the light of the above, please provide the following information to the commission: (i) copy of the FIR registered in the matter, (ii) reasons for allegedly not producing the arrested girl before the local court for transit remand, (iii) reasons for allegedly not providing a lawyer of her choice to the girl when she was produced before the court in Delhi, (iv) detailed action taken report in the matter.”
Delhi police had on Monday claimed that due procedure was followed and Disha was arrested in the presence of her mother and local police and she was represented by a lawyer. The police, however, did not comment on the transit remand.
Delhi police commissioner S.N. Shrivastava on Tuesday defended the police’s action.
“We have filed cases pertaining to the Republic Day violence and a probe is on in the toolkit case. Many more details are yet to be revealed,” he said, adding that Disha was arrested after following all due processes.
“Whether someone is 22 or 50 years old, law treats everyone equally. The court was in agreement with the decision to arrest her and remanded her in police custody for five days,” Shrivastava said.
Sources in Delhi police on Tuesday said the role of some farmer leaders were also being probed in connection with the “toolkit” case and the ongoing probe into the Republic Day violence during the tractor rally, triggering apprehension that the Centre was now planning to crack down on protesters against the three farm laws.
The police have also written to videoconferencing platform Zoom seeking details of those who participated in a January 11 virtual meeting organised allegedly by a pro-Khalistani group to prepare a protest toolkit backing the farmers’ agitation.
The police had said on Monday that Disha and two other accused — Nikita Jacob, a Bombay High Court lawyer, and Shantanu, a Maharashtra-based engineer — had attended the meeting to gather online support for the farmers’ tractor rally.
“We have written to Zoom to ascertain the identity of the others who had participated in the virtual meeting ahead of Republic Day,” an officer said.
