"Important matter": Delhi High Court orders Central government to file fresh status report on sedition case against Disha Ravi

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Central government to file a a fresh status report detailing the progress in the investigation into the alleged toolkit case against activist Disha Ravi. .Justice Prathiba M Singh expressed her displeasure over the Delhi Police counsel appearing in the matter without proper instructions. "This cannot go on like this. It is an important matter, you cannot come without instructions," the court remarked. The Court said it will hear the case on September 4 and ordered the Central government to file the status report at least two weeks before the hearing. .Senior Advocate Akhil Sibal appeared for Ravi and said that in the present case, the Delhi Police collected Ravi's private data and the same were leaked to the media. Sibal said that the media also reported on the questions that the Police purportedly asked Ravi and what her responses were to those questions. The Senior Advocate further said that the posts against Ravi are still available online and should be removed. .In her petition, Disha claimed that she was viscerally attacked by Delhi Police and several media houses on the basis of leaked investigative matter and prejudicial press briefings.Such conduct, it was asserted, went against her presumption of innocence, and violates her right to fair trial, thereby affecting the administration of justice.The other parties in the petition are News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA), News 18, India Today and Times Now.After a detailed hearing, the Court had, on February 19, 2021, passed an interim order directing news channel editors to exercise proper control while reporting so that the investigation into the farmers protests toolkit case is not hampered..At the same time, Ravi was also asked to ensure that the people connected to her do not indulge in scandalising the Delhi Police during the course of the investigation into the case.Ravi was apprehended by the Delhi Police on the night of February 13, 2021 on the allegation that she had made edits to a Google document that was shared as a “toolkit” related to the ongoing farmers' protests.She was granted bail by a Delhi Court on February 23, 2021.