Lawyer Nikita Jacob Accepts Attending Toolkit Zoom Meet, Denies Motive

Advocate and activist Nikita Jacob, who has been named in the farmers' protest toolkit probe by police along with arrested activist Disha Ravi, gave a nod to having attended a toolkit Zoom meeting prior to Republic Day. The meeting was reportedly also attended by Ravi and Mo Dhaliwal, co-founder of Canada-based organisation Poetic Justice Foundation (PJF) being investigated for alleged Khalistani links.

Through her lawyer, Jacob told Mumbai Police that the toolkit was merely designed to platform information about the ongoing farmers' agitation and that she had "no religious, political and financial motive or agenda for researching, discussing, editing and circulating toolkits for raising awareness," ANI reports.

Toolkit Zoom Meeting Under Radar, Attendees Included Jacob, Ravi

Calling the toolkit an "informational pack," Jacob claims the document (originally shared by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg in early February) was assembled by volunteers from Extinction Rebellion (XR) India to disseminate details about the ongoing protests in India to an international audience.

The Delhi Police recently put out a non-bailable arrest warrant for Jacob for allegedly editing the toolkit. Ravi, 21, too was arrested from her home in Bengaluru and remanded to Delhi Police custody earlier this week on similar charges.

Authorities had earlier claimed Jacob was absconding when a Special Cell team visited her house last week and she was not available for questioning. Her electronic gadgets were, however, examined. Jacob has now sought protection from arrest and a copy of Delhi Police's FIR against her.

Nikita Jacob Granted Protection From Delhi Police Arrest

Pursuant to the Delhi Police seeking her arrest with a non-bailable warrant against her, the Bombay High Court had granted interim protection to Jacob for three weeks on February 17. She had joined the probe on February 22 with Muluk, further filing a plea seeking anticipatory bail in the 'toolkit' case.

A Delhi Court extended her protection period on March 9 until March 15, the date of the next hearing in the case. The matter on her bail plea, however, was adjourned. The lawyer has requested time to go through the response filed by the Delhi Police.