Toolkit Case: Disha Ravi Moves Delhi High Court Seeking Modification Of Bail Condition Restricting Foreign Travel Without Prior Permission

Climate activist Disha Ravi, accused in the 2021 “toolkit case”, has moved the Delhi High Court seeking modification of a bail condition requiring her to obtain prior permission from court each time before travelling abroad.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma reserved the order.

Ravi was arrested by the Delhi Police from her Bengaluru residence on February 13, 2021. She was later granted bail by the trial court on February 23, 2021.

The plea challenges the trial court order passed on August 09 rejecting her application to modify the bail condition which reads as “She shall not leave the country without the permission of the court.”

The counsel appearing for Ravi submitted that the condition of permission be converted to that of “intimation”. It was contended that Ravi, who has to go abroad frequently, is required to seek permission from the trial court each time before her travel. It was also stated that Ravi has travelled abroad frequently in the past two and half years and that she has never violated any bail condition as imposed by the trial court.

On the other hand, the Delhi Police opposed her plea on the ground that merely because a bail condition is found to be inconvenient cannot be a ground to modify the same. The court was also told that the reason for delay of investigation in the matter has already been explained by the prosecution before the trial court.

The Delhi Police had justified before the trial court the ground for its failure to conclude investigation stating that the proceedings with regards to the offence of sedition had been stayed by the Supreme Court of India and that the prosecution, after obtaining opinion from Solicitor General of India, has “restarted the investigation” with regard to remaining offences.

The trial court was also told that the offences being investigated involve suspected persons who are based in several foreign countries and that the investigating agency is in the process of collecting important evidence from relevant agencies and intermediaries.

Ravi was granted bail by the trial court observing the "scanty and sketchy evidence" against her.

It was the Delhi Police’s case that various “toolkit documents” were circulated on social media during the 2021 farmers’ protest, allegedly created by an organisation called "Poetic Justice Foundation" and that the aim of the creators were to promote disaffection against India. 

As per the prosecution, the violence during the protests was attributed as being caused by way of the “incitement to violence contained in the document” which was allegedly created by Ravi. 

It was also alleged that she was part of a WhatsApp group which included persons who allegedly edited the toolkit and also communicated the same with others including environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

Case Title: Disha A Ravi v. State