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Synopsis

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday "refused to modify" bail conditions of Disha A Ravi, who is facing prosecution for her alleged involvement in sharing a toolkit backing the farmers' protest in 2021.

She had sought modification of bail condition of seeking prior permission of the trial court before travelling abroad.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma rejected Ravi's plea. 

A detailed copy of the judgment is awaited.

Earlier, the plea had come up for hearing before Justice Sharma on August 21 morning. The judge after hearing submissions for the counsel of Ravi and Delhi police had “reserved order” in the plea and had said an order will be passed at 4 pm. However, the order was pronounced today. 

Ravi's counsel had argued, "I need to travel abroad frequently and on short notices. I have already travelled abroad three times after passing of the bail order and even an LOC has been issued against me. The bail condition of taking prior permission of the trial court is causing me inconvenience. I have not violated any of the bail conditions”.

The Delhi Police had opposed the plea and said that merely because the condition was found inconvenient to her, it could not be a ground for modification.

She had challenged a Trial court’s order of August 9 by which her plea to modify the bail condition was dismissed.

While dismissing her plea to modify the bail conditions, the trial court judge had said, “The investigating agency has explained that the offences being investigated, involves suspected persons who are based in several foreign countries and the investigating agency is in the process of collecting important evidence in respect of these suspects from the relevant agencies and intermediaries. Hence I am also of the opinion that the modification of condition(as sought) at this stage would be detrimental for the investigation".

Ravi was granted bail by a trial court in the case on February 23, 2021. While granting bail, the trial court had imposed various conditions on her, including that she shall not leave the country without prior permission of the court.

Ravi was arrested by the Delhi Police on February 13, 2021, for allegedly being involved in sharing on social media a toolkit related to the farmers' protest which was then going on against the Centre's three farm laws.

Case Title: Disha A. Ravi v. State (NCT of Delhi)