Toolkit case: After arrest warrant, Nikita Jacob files transit bail plea

Lawyer-activist Nikita Jacob on Monday filed a transit bail application in Bombay High Court against a non-bailable warrant issued against her and another person by the Delhi Police for allegedly sharing the “toolkit” related to the farmers’ protest on social media.

The matter is likely to be heard tomorrow.

The other person against whom the warrant has been issued is Shantanu. The police are conducting raids in Mumbai and other places to nab the duo. The development follows the arrest of 21-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi from Bengaluru. She was sent to five days police remand by a Delhi Court.

“The two suspects against whom the non-bailable warrants were issued are Nikita Jacob and Shantanu,” police stated, adding that they were allegedly involved in preparing the document and was in direct touch with “pro-Khalistani elements.”

“The two are wanted in connection with the toolkit case. They are suspected to be involved in preparing the documents and were in direct interaction with pro-Khalistani elements,” a senior police officer said.

The Delhi Police had on Sunday claimed that Ravi was an editor of the “toolkit Google doc” and “key conspirator” in the document’s formulation and dissemination.

Police also alleged that Ravi and others “;collaborated with pro-Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation to spread disaffection against the Indian State.” “She was the one who shared the toolkit doc with Greta Thunberg,” the Delhi Police claimed in a tweet.

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Thunberg, a teenage climate activist, had shared the “toolkit” to lend her support to the farmers’ agitation against the three agri laws. In the document, various urgent actions, including creating a Twitter storm and protesting outside Indian embassies, were listed which were needed to be taken to support the farmers’ protest.

The toolkit has been cited by some critics as a “proof” of her conspiracy to fuel protests in India.

The police on Sunday told the court that her custody was required to investigate an alleged larger conspiracy against the government of India and to ascertain her alleged role relating to the Khalistan movement.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called Ravi’s arrest an “unprecedented attack on democracy” while the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which is leading the farmers’ protest at Delhi’s borders, too condemned the activist’s arrest and demanded her immediate release.

Thousands of farmers protesting the Centre’s new agri laws had clashed with the police during their tractor parade on January 26. Over 500 police security personnel were injured while one protestors died during the Republic Day violence.

Earlier, Delhi Police had asked Google and some social media giants to provide information about e-mail id, URLs and certain social media accounts related to creators of the “toolkit” shared by Thunberg and others on Twitter in connection with the farmers’ protest.

(With inputs from agencies)