'Toolkit' case: 'No leakage of info to media', Centre tells High Court

New Delhi: The Centre told the Delhi High Court on Thursday that there has been no leakage of messages or any other details from the Delhi Police to the media in connection with the 'toolkit' case, which has climate activist Disha Ravi as the accused.

The 21-year-old activist has approached the Delhi High Court seeking a direction to the Delhi Police to not leak any investigation material in relation to 'toolkit' case to the media.

Disha, in the petition, stated that she is being viscerally attacked by the Delhi Police and several media houses on the basis of leaked investigative matter and prejudicial press briefings.

"This is for media attention. There has been no leakage of info from the police. We will file an affidavit on this," Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told Justice Prathiba Singh.

After hearing the contentions, the court gave Centre time till tomorrow to file the affidavit.

Besides, notice has also been issued to the News Broadcasters Association, News 18 and Times Now.

The climate activist was arrested from Bengaluru last week in connection with allegedly editing and sharing a 'toolkit' on social media related to the farmers' protest and was remanded to five-days police custody the next day.

In the application in the high court, she has sought, "...directing Delhi Police not to leak any investigation material in relation to FIR No. 49/20, PS Special Cell, including alleged contents of private chats or communication by the Petitioner to any third party, including the media."

Besides, she has sought appropriate action against News18, IndiaToday and Times Now and all other satellite TV channels and restrain them from publishing the contents or extracts of any alleged private chats [including WhatsApp chats] between her and third parties.

The Cyber Cell had lodged an FIR against "pro-Khalistan" creators of the "toolkit" for waging a "social, cultural and economic war against the government of India".

On Sunday, the Delhi Police took to microblogging website Twitter to elaborate on the case. It wrote, "Disha Ravi, arrested by Delhi Police, is an Editor of the Toolkit Google Doc and key conspirator in document's formulation and dissemination."

She has started WhatsApp Group and collaborated to make the Toolkit document, the police said, adding that she worked closely with them to draft it.

"In this process, they all collaborated with pro Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation to spread disaffection against the Indian State. She was the one who shared the Toolkit document with Greta Thunberg," the police wrote on Twitter.

After the arrest, the Delhi Police Special Cell procured five-day custody of 21-year-old climate activist from the court to identify Pro-Khalistani Group - Poetic Justice Foundation and its active members, and to recover the deleted WhatsApp Group.

Her police custody ends on February 19. She will again be produced before the court.