Disha Ravi’ plea an attempt to defame cops, put pressure on probe agency: Police

Disha Ravi’s plea an attempt to defame cops, put pressure on investigating agency: Delhi Police tell court.

The Delhi Police on Friday told the high court that climate activist Disha Ravi’s petition to stop police fromleaking probe material to media was an attempt to defame and vilify the police and put pressure on the investigating agency.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Ravi seeking to keep the Delhi Police from leaking “any investigation material” accessed by them as part of the probe into the ‘toolkit’ case. The police claim that the Bengaluru activist was the one who shared the document on farmers’ protest with Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg. Ravi, however, said that the police had pre-judged her guilt and were giving “biased and defamatory narrative.”

The police have denied leaking any investigation material contained in the first information report to the media following which the court has asked the police to file an affidavit.

Justice Prathiba M Singh, who is hearing the activist’s plea, had issued notices to the News Broadcasters Association Network 18 and Times Now news channels on Ravi’s petition.

Ravi, 22, was arrested on February 13 from her home in Bengaluru and produced before a Delhi court on the next day for her alleged involvement in sharing the toolkit related to the ongoing farmers’ protest on Delhi’s borders with Thunberg. The police have alleged that Ravi had later asked the Swedish activist to take down the post that comprised the document after its incriminating details accidentally got into the public domain.

The police have also issued warrants against Mumbai-based activist and advocate Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Muluk, an activist from Beed, for creating and sharing the document for creating and amplifying an online campaign related to the ongoing farmers’ protest on Delhi’s borders. According to the police, a second toolkit of similar nature was also in the works but could not be executed. Investigators said the second document was created by Jacob and Muluk and a UK-based activist Marina Patterson, who is allegedly linked with the global movement “Extinction Rebellion” also referred to as “XR”.