Bengaluru: Disha Ravi, who works on environmental issues was arrested from Bengaluru on charges of involvement in sharing the toolkit on farmers' social media. After the arrest, Disha Ravi was produced in the court from where she was sent to judicial custody for 5 days.
This is the same toolkit shared by Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg on her Twitter account. Greta Thunberg had later deleted it. However, according to reports, Disha Ravi's arrest is just beginning and the police are looking for two more suspects in the case.
According to the Times of India, the names of these suspects are Shantanu and Nikita. A team from the Delhi Police is conducting raids in Mumbai and other places to find them.
According to reports, the Bengaluru Police has stated that they had no information that five members of the Delhi Police's cyber cell will reach the city to conduct the operation. The Delhi Police team, which includes two female police personnel, reached Bengaluru on Saturday afternoon.
Disha Ravi is alleged to have edited and added some things to the toolkit related to the farmers' protest and forwarded it to various people.
When Greta Thunberg shared the toolkit, Disha Ravi had warned her that the toolkit had gone public. Later Greta Thunberg deleted it and then shared an edited version of the document.
What are the allegations against Disha Ravi?
A senior police officer said that Disha Ravi was detained from her house for questioning and was later arrested for creating and sharing the toolkit. Disha Ravi has studied BBA from a private college in Bengaluru and is also a founding member of an organization called 'Fridays for Future India'.
She is one of the editors of the toolkit and the main conspirator in the matter of creating and spreading the document. The official said that Disha Ravi's laptop and mobile phone were seized for further investigation. Also, the police are investigating whether she was in contact with more people who are involved in the case.
Congress opposes arrest
The Congress has protested against the arrest of Disha Ravi.
"A ‘took kit’ to support the farmers’ protest is more dangerous than the intrusion by Chinese troops into Indian territory! India is becoming the theatre of the absurd and it is sad that the Delhi Police has become a tool of the oppressors," Congress leader P. Chidambaram tweeted.
"I strongly condemn the arrest of Disha Ravi and urge all students and youth to raise their voices to protest against the authoritarian regime," he added.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has also protested against Disha's arrest. He said that it is complete atrocity, it is unfair harassment and intimidation.
"Completely atrocious! This is unwarranted harassment and intimidation. I express my full solidarity with Disha Ravi," he tweeted.
What is a toolkit?
The toolkit contains guidelines and content related to trending a campaign via Twitter. The 'Cyber Cell' of Delhi Police had filed an FIR on February 4 against the pro-Khalistan makers of the 'Toolkit' with the goal of waging a social, cultural and economic war against the Indian government.
A case has been registered against unknown persons under sections of the Indian Penal Code for criminal conspiracy, sedition and other charges. A senior Delhi Police official had earlier said at a press conference that preliminary investigation revealed that the documents were linked to the pro-Khalistan group 'Poetic Justice Foundation'.
He said that after taking note of the events of the past few days, including the violence on January 26, it has been revealed that the plan described in the toolkit has been implemented literally. Its goal is to wage a social, cultural and economic war against the Indian government.
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