Prem Nath, Joint CP Cyber Cell
Climate activist Disha Ravi and lawyer Nikita Jacob created the toolkit related to the farmers’ protest against the Modi government’s three farm laws, Delhi Police said on Monday. Addressing the media here, Prem Nath, Joint CP (Cyber Cell), said that many screenshots of the toolkit were available on open source and were investigated.
He said that when probe was able to fetch enough information, a search warrant was obtained from court on February 9 against Nikita Jacob. Nikita, one of the editors of the toolkit, is a lawyer by profession. Nath said that a police team reached Mumbai and conducted searches at her residence on February 11.
"She (Nikita) and her associates Shantanu and Disha Ravi had created the document. The email account created by Shantanu is the owner of this document and all others are its editors," the cop said. Earlier today, police informed that a NBW has been issued against her.
On the arrest of climate activist Disha Ravi, 21, Nath said that she was taken into custody in presence of her mother, area SHO in Bengaluru and that due procedure was followed.
Disha Ravi sent toolkit to Greta Thunberg
According to Nath, it was Disha Ravi who sent the 'toolkit' document to teen climate activist Greta Thunberg through Telegram app.
He said that MO Dhaliwal, the founder of Canada-based pro-Khalistan outfit Poetic Justice Foundation, had contacted Nikita through his colleague Puneet, a Canadian citizen to create a strong on Twitter ahead of the Republic Day. Police said that an investigation into the toolkit conspiracy has revealed the deeper conspiracy linked with the document.
He said that a zoom meeting was also organised before Republic Day which was attended by Dhaliwal, Nikita, Disha and others.
“A woman named Puneet who is based in Canada connected these people to the Pro-Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation. On January 11, Nikita and Shantanu attended a Zoom meeting organised by Poetic Justice Foundation in which modalities were chalked out,” he said.
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Nath claimed that their aim was to tarnish the image of India. He also said that a fake news was also circulated that a farmer died of bullet injury on Republic Day in the national capital.
Nath added that Disha even created a WhatsApp group on December 6 last year to spread the 'toolkit'. She deleted the group later.
A major controversy erupted after Greta Thunberg shared the "toolkit" to lend her support to the farmers' agitation near Delhi borders against the farm laws. In the document, various urgent actions, including creating a Twitter storm and protesting outside Indian embassies, were listed which were needed to be taken to support the farmers' protest. The toolkit has been cited by some critics as a "proof" of her conspiracy to fuel protests in India.
READ MORE: From climate activist to 'Toolkit Editor', who is Disha Ravi?
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western UP, are protesting the Centre's new agri laws clashed with the police during their tractor parade on January 26. Over 500 police security personnel were injured while one protester died during the Republic Day violence. Earlier, the Delhi police had asked Google and some social media giants to provide information about e-mail ID, URLs and certain social media accounts related to creators of the "toolkit" shared by Thunberg and others on Twitter in connection with the farmers' protest.
READ MORE: Toolkit controversy: Non-bailable warrants issued against Nikita Jacob and Shantanu
READ MORE: Toolkit case: Activists, environmentalists demand release of Disha Ravi
