The Bombay High Court will hear a protection plea from climate activist Nikita Jacob who got arrested yesterday along with Shantanu Muluk. They got arrested in the case of “toolkit” controversy which was shared by international climate activist Greta Thunberg on her Twitter handle. They both were involved in the creation of that “toolkit”.
The “toolkit” claims to be defamatory to Indian government and in support of farmers. Earlier its was suspected to be created by Khalistani groups but now things are coming different.
The Delhi Police has already arrested another climate activists Disha Ravi and these other two now. The two had conducted a meeting on Zoom a day before Republic Day to plan out the social media fizzing.
In her request for protection from arrest, Nikita Jacob has asked for a copy of the FIR (First Information Report) and has alleged that Delhi Police came to her Mumbai home last Thursday with a search warrant and seized gadgets and documents. Mr Muluk too has approached the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court with a request for protection from arrest. Both of them face charges that are not bailable.
Delhi Police said that Ms Jacob and Mr Muluk were not found at their homes in Mumbai and Maharashtra’s Beed respectively. They said a Canada-based woman, identified as Puneet, had put Ms Jacob, Ms Ravi and Mr Muluk in touch with Poetic Justice Foundation, an organisation with Khalistani links. They had a Zoom meeting on January 11, the cops said.
The arrest warrants against have emerged at a time outrage is spiraling over the arrest of Ms Ravi, a Bengaluru college graduate and climate activist, on conspiracy and sedition charges. She was arrested from her home in Bengaluru and produced in a Delhi court on Sunday without her lawyers but with legal aide provided by the court.
In the courts Ravi in her protection said “I did not make the Toolkit. We wanted to support the farmers. I edited two lines on February 3,” however, the court sent her to a police custody for five days.
