‘Toolkit’ case: Disha Ravi moves Delhi HC to restrain police from leaking probe material to media

Climate change activist Disha Ravi, who was arrested in reference to the ‘toolkit’ case, has moved the Delhi High Court looking for to restrain Delhi police from leaking any investigation material relating to her case to the media.

The 22-year-old has additionally pleaded for motion towards information media from publishing contents or extracts of her non-public WhatsApp chats claiming it to be “violative of fair trial rights and right to privacy”.

Ms. Ravi, a everlasting resident of Bangalore, was arrested in reference to an FIR registered on February 4. The plea claimed that she was flown in a single day to New Delhi with out acquiring transit remand in flagrant violation of her constitutional rights.

The petition acknowledged that Ms. Ravi “is severely aggrieved and prejudiced by the media trial surrounding her arrest and the ongoing investigation, where she is being viscerally attacked by the Respondent No. 1 [Special Cell, Delhi Police] and several media houses…on the basis of leaked investigative matter”.

Ms. Ravi claimed that her cell phone and laptop computer was seized by Special Cell, Delhi police at round 11 a.m. on February 13, 2021 and has not been accessed by her since then. “Thus, only Respondent No. 1 [Special Cell] had access to the contents of the Petitioner’s private conversations and any leaks of the same necessarily constitutes the commission of a cognisable offence,” the plea acknowledged.

“The further publication and dissemination of the Petitioner’s private alleged WhatsApp chats by media houses, including Respondent Nos. 4-6 [media houses], is a clear violation of the provisions of the Cable Sections the Cable Televisions Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 (CTN Act), the Programme Code and the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines,” the plea added.

The petition has additionally claimed that the Delhi Police on February 14 tweeted from its official Twitter deal with that, “Disha Ravi, arrested by CyPAD Delhi Police, is an Editor of the Toolkit Google Doc & key conspirator in document’s formulation & dissemination…”

This, she stated was in “direct violation of the Ministry of Home Affairs Office Memorandum dated 01.04.2010 Advisory on Media Policy of Police, because they outright prejudge the guilt of the Petitioner and disclose confidential and prejudicial information about the status of investigation”.

Ms. Ravi was despatched to 5 days police custody by a Delhi courtroom on Sunday after the police sought her remand to probe an alleged bigger conspiracy towards the Government of India and to verify her alleged position relating to the Khalistan motion.