Police get Disha’s custody for a day

A Delhi court asked the Delhi Police on Monday to produce climate activist Disha Ravi before it again on Tuesday as it sent her to one day’s custodial interrogation during which she will be confronted with co-accused, lawyer Nikita Jacob and engineer Shantanu Muluk, in connection with the toolkit case related to the farmers’ protest on Delhi’s borders.

The bail plea of the 22-year-old is pending before additional sessions judge Dharmender Rana, who is expected to pass an order on the petition on Tuesday.

Chief metropolitan magistrate Pankaj Sharma sent Ravi to one day’s custodial interrogation by the Delhi Police special cell, saying the remand was being granted for a shorter period than the five days sought by the police because she only has to be confronted with Mumbai lawyer Jacob and Pune-based engineer Shantanu Muluk.

Ravi was produced at the end of her three-day judicial custody. The police had sought a remand for five days to confront Ravi with Jacob and Muluk.

“As the case involves the allegations of vituperous campaign to spread hatred and dissatisfaction to disturb peace and tranquility, to undermine sovereignty, integrity and security, the investigating authority must be provided fair time and chance within the ambit of law to reach out to truth through custodial interrogation and confrontation.

“However, at the same time, a balance has to be struck with individual’s right and considering the same, police custody remand of the accused is deemed necessary for a shorter period than required by police as only confrontation of accused with other co-accused is sought and accordingly, accused is remanded to one day {in} police custody…,” the judge said.

Ravi was arrested on February 13 in connection with an online toolkit which Delhi Police claimed was created by her in support of farmers protesting against the Centre’s farm laws.

Jacob and Muluk were granted transit pre-arrest bail by courts in Mumbai.

On Monday, appearing for the police, public prosecutor Vikas Singh told the court the department required Ravi’s custody to question her along with the two other accused in the case who joined the probe on Monday.

He said the present request for police custody was not punishment, but rather would be helpful to Ravi because she was shifting the blame onto the other two accused.

The police, in its remand application, said that from the collective confrontation of the accused, the role played by each of them in deletion of the original Toolkit document would come to light.

Ravi’s lawyer Siddharth Agarwal opposed the demand saying she has already been questioned by the police and facts conveyed in the earlier remand application remained the same.