Toolkit case: Nikita Jacob, Shantanu Muluk withdraw anticipatory bail pleas after police assures 7-day notice before arrest

New Delhi: Three people accused in the toolkit case withdrew their anticipatory bail applications from a Delhi court on Monday after police assurance that advance notice of seven working days will be given to them in case the arrest is imminent and unavoidable. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana disposed of the anticipatory bail applications filed by Nikita Jacob, Shantanu Muluk and Shubham Kar Chaudhari. The court passed the order after the prosecution as well as the accused agreed to the arrangement. The court had earlier granted regular bail to climate activist Disha Ravi in the case. The 21-year-old activist Ravi was arrested from Bengaluru in connection with the formulation and dissemination of the ’toolkit’ document, in the ongoing farmers’ protest against the new agri laws cleared by the Centre. She was one of the editors of the ’toolkit’ document. Police told the court on Monday that the probe was dependent on foreign-based service providers and that looking at the conduct of the accused, custodial interrogation would be needed. “We don’t want to have a situation where we are denied custodial interrogation,” the police said. The prosecution argued that investigation was at an initial stage which requires technical analysis. “At this juncture, it is proposed by defence counsel that to be fair to the agency, they are willing to withdraw subject to the condition that if in case arrest is imminent and unavoidable, seven working days advance notice shall be served on accused persons,” the court observed. Accused may exercise their legal remedies during that period, the court noted. The police acceded to the request. All three accused have been granted transit bail in the matter in which an FIR was registered under IPC Sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).