Court grants Disha Ravi bail in 'toolkit' case

A Delhi court on Tuesday granted bail to climate activist Disha Ravi, who was arrested in connection with the toolkit case. "Considering the scanty and sketchy evidence on record, I do not find any palpable reason to breach the rule of bail for a  girl who has absolutely no criminal antecedent," Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana said in his bail order.  The court asked her to furnish a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh and two additional sureties.

Shortly afterwards a second judge - Pankaj Sharma, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of the Patiala House Court - disposed off an application by Delhi Police seeking extended custody of Ms Ravi; the police had sought a further four days of custody. Ms Ravi has already spent six days in police custody and two in jail. Bail was granted Tuesday after the court reserved its order on Saturday. Disha Ravi is accused of creating and spreading an online document linked to the farmers' protest against the centre's agriculture laws - a document the police says was meant to revive a Khalistani group and was part of a global conspiracy to "spread disaffection against the Indian state".