New Delhi: Disha Ravi, the 22-year-old climate activist arrested February 13 in connection with the “toolkit” case, was granted bail by a Delhi Sessions Court on Tuesday afternoon – subject to provision of two sureties of ₹ 1 lakh each.
“Considering the scanty and sketchy evidence on record, I do not find any palpable reason to breach the rule of bail for a 22-year-old girl who has absolutely no criminal antecedent,” Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana said in his bail order.
Shortly afterwards a second judge – Pankaj Sharma, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of the Patiala House Court – disposed off a Delhi Police application seeking extended custody; the police had sought further four days of custody.
Ravi has already spent six days in police custody and two in jail.
Bail was granted today after the court reserved its order on Saturday.
In today’s brief hearing Ravi’s counsel stressed that she had no links with the Khalistani movement, and that a case of sedition could not be sustained.
Delhi Police, opposing grant of bail, said Ravi could tamper evidence if she were to be released.
In last week’s hearing Judge Rana had picked holes in the argument that Ravi and two others – activist Shantanu Muluk and lawyer Nikita Jacob – were in league with secessionists and conspiring to cause violence during the farmers’ Republic Day tractor rally
The judge dubbed Delhi Police’s reasoning “conjecture”.
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