Delhi Commission for Women sends notice to police over Disha Ravi’s arrest

New Delhi, Feb 16: Delhi Commission for Women on Tuesday sent notice to Dy Police Commissioner, Cyber Crime Cell, Delhi Police over Disha Ravi's arrest.

The Commission has asked Police to provide copy of FIR, reasons for allegedly not producing her before local court for transit remand and a detailed action taken report.

Taking cognisance of media reports, the panel in a statement, issued on Tuesday, also said that Ravi was produced before a court in Delhi without a lawyer of her choice being present there.

Citing media reports and claims by activists, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) said Ravi was arrested and taken to Delhi from Bengaluru by police and her whereabouts were not disclosed, not even to her parents.

It has also been alleged that police did not present her at a court in Bengaluru for transit remand, before bringing her to Delhi, it said.

The arrest of a 22-year-old climate activist from Bengaluru, Disha Ravi, sparked widespread outrage on Sunday, with politicians, activists, condemning the police action over a guide to the anti-government farmer protests that was tweeted by environmentalist Greta Thunberg.

However, the Delhi Police said Disha Ravi, who was arrested by a Cyber Cell team of the force was an editor of the "toolkit Google doc" and "key conspirator" in the document''s formulation and dissemination.

Police alleged that Ravi and others "collaborated with the pro-Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation to spread disaffection against the Indian State."

Rebutting the criticism in some quarters that there were procedural lapses in arresting 22-year-old environment activist Disha Ravi, Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava said, the police action was as per the procedure established by the law and it does not differentiate adult people based on age.