Former judges, police officers write to President, say unsubstantiated allegations being made about arrest Disha Ravi

A group of citizens comprising former judges and former senior police officers have written to President Ram Nath Kovind expressing concern over "unsubstantiated allegations being presented to the media as well the public in general through social media" with regard to arrest of climate activist Disha Ravi by Delhi Police in 'toolkit' case.

In a letter to the President, the signatories including former Chief justice of Sikkim High Court Justice Permod Kohli and former Karnataka DGP Raghavendra Auradkar said the central government should ensure that Delhi Police is able to do its investigation in a free and fair manner without any undue pressure from vested interests and "to bring to book all those rogue elements who have allowed themselves to be used by secessionist forces in India and abroad, trying to spread anarchy and provide intellectual cover to anti-national forces to serve their own selfish ends".

Referring to Disha Ravi, they said she has been arrested "for being a member of a group of conspirators that prepared a toolkit that contains a document, meant for circulation among a few people to guide them on...to defame India in the international forum and incite anti-social and anti-national acts by using some farmer groups protesting on the outskirts of Delhi".

They strongly denounced "the narrative being created by some individuals and orgsations against national interests" and stressed that it is the onerous duty of every citizen to unite against the forces of disruption and protect the sovereignty and integrity of India.

The signatories said a democratically-elected government has constitutionally passed the farm laws and is conscious about its duty towards the people of India.

"Few immature individuals with vested interests are making attempts to magnify the legal action by the police to hide their anti-national activities by making such baseless allegations and indulging in slander against the Delhi police to demoralise them," they said.

"Information available on open sources clearly establishes that the toolkit document contains the list of persons or groups to be followed having linkages with ISI and Khalist groups," the signatories said, adding that the petitioners also noted that a few Indian citizens had actively engaged with banned elements and orgsations who planned and orgsed protests outside Indian embassies, High Commissions and Consul-General offices abroad.

"Such actions to instigate protests against Indian embassies and thereby building international pressure against India's farm laws need to be condemned as these are highly objectionable that is normally not undertaken by people of ordinary prudence," they said.

The letter said it has now been well established that "the so-called environmental activist has been conspiring with banned anti-national elements and persons who were acting in a manner which would adversely affect the friendly relations with foreign countries and create unrest affecting the public order in our country".

Disha has been sent to three days in judicial custody by a Delhi court on Friday in connection with the 'toolkit' case on the farmers' protest.

She was produced before Patiala House Court by the Special Cell of Delhi Police, as her five-day police custody ended today.

Disha was arrested from Bengaluru on February 13.

The police had earlier registered an FIR against unidentified persons in connection with the creators of the 'toolkit'.

( With inputs from ANI )