Written by: Parbat Singh
Edited by: Anubhav Yadav
On 14 February 2021, Delhi Police arrested activist Disha Ravi for creating and editing the toolkit, which allegedly instigated the violence during the 26 January 2021 tractor parade. Delhi Police alleged that Disha Ravi along with lawyer Nikita Jacob and engineer Shantanu Muluk created a toolkit and shared it with others to tarnish the image of India. Allegations were also levelled against Disha Ravi of sharing the toolkit with Greta Thunberg as a plan of International Conspiracy.
The toolkit is a document in a digital era protests to show cause the causes and plan towards the Protests or movement. It provides a roadmap for the protest.
She was charged under IPC Section 124 (A) for sedition, Section 153 (A) for promoting enmity between different sections of the society and Section 120 (B) for criminal conspiracy. Disha Ravi filed a petition in Delhi High Court for her release.
In Disha A Ravi v. State & Ors, Delhi High Court held that the accused had no connection with pro-Khalistan organizations, Poetic Justice Foundation (PJF), and Sikhs for Justice, and that there was not an “iota” of evidence linking her to the violence that rocked Delhi on Republic, and was granted bail on the ground that evidence available was “scanty and sketchy” on the record.
The Court also stated that “The Perusal of the said ‘Toolkit’ reveals that any call for any kind of violence is conspicuously absent. The offence of Sedition cannot be invoked to minister to the wounded vanity of the governments”. The Court stated the right to dissent is enshrined under Article 19 of the Constitution. It added the freedom of speech and expression includes the right to seek a global audience.