Chennai: Climate activist Disha Ravi who was arrested in connection with allegedly being involved in sharing a ‘toolkit’ on social media related to the farmers’ protest, walked out of jail late Tuesday night, after a Delhi court granted her bail.
Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana granted relief to the 21-year-old on a personal bond of Rs one lakh and two sureties of like amount.
The court said there is nothing on record to establish any direct link between Ravi and pro-Khalistan activists of ‘Poetic Justice Foundation’ (PJF) and also there is not even an iota of evidence brought connecting the perpetrators of the violence on 26 January with the PJF or her.
Further, it observed that there is nothing on record to suggest that the activist subscribed to any secessionist idea and there is absolutely no link established on record between her and banned outfit Sikhs for Justice.
Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana noted that the accused had absolutely no criminal antecedents.
“Considering the scanty and sketchy evidence available on record, I do not find any palpable reasons to breach the general rule of ‘ Bail’ against a 22 year old young lady, with absolutely blemish free criminal antecedents and having firm roots in the society, and send her to jail,” the judge said.
The judge said that perusal of the said ‘Toolkit’ reveals that any call for any kind of violence is conspicuously absent.
“In my considered opinion, Citizens are conscience keepers of government in any democratic Nation. They cannot be put behind the bars simply because they choose to disagree with the State policies. The offence of sedition cannot be invoked to Minister to the wounded vanity of the governments,” the court said.
The court said the difference of opinion, disagreement, divergence, dissent, or for that matter, even disapprobation, are recognised legitimate tools to infuse objectivity in state policies.
“An aware and assertive citizenry, in contradistinction with an indifferent or docile citizenry, is indisputably a sign of a healthy and vibrant democracy,” the court said.
It said that creation of a WhatsApp group or being editor of an innocuous Toolkit is not an offence.
“Further, since the link with the said toolkit or PJF has not been found to be objectionable, mere deletion of the WhatsApp chat to destroy the evidence linking her with the toolkit and PJF, also becomes meaningless,” the court said.