On tuesday, the Bombay High Court will hear the bail petitions of advocate and activist Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Muluk, who are facing arrest for their alleged involvement in preparing and a toolkit that details digital support for farmers protesting against Centre agricultural laws.
Activist Disha Ravi, 22, and the two others held a Zoom meeting before Republic Day to plan a social media buzz on the farmers’ tractor rally, the police said on Monday.
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.
The Delhi Police have alleged that Jacob and Muluk created the Google toolkit in collaboration with another 22-year-old activist Disha Ravi, who was arrested from Bengaluru on Saturday and was sent to five days in police custody by a court in Delhi.
Jacob, in her statement to the police, has accepted calling for support for agitating farmers on social media. However, she denied sharing any information with Thunberg and added that the document was an “informational pack” and was not intended to incite violence. She told the police that the toolkit was being prepared by XR India volunteers for presenting the whole picture with a simple breakdown for an international audience.