Delhi Police seeks to link 'toolkit' activists to man with ISI connections

There was one Peter Frederick also in the list who was under the Indian agencies' radar since 2006 for his links with ISI, said Manishi Chandra

Delhi Police on Monday appeared to link activists Disha Ravi, Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Mallick, who are being investigated in the toolkit case, with a foreigner under Indian agencies' radar for his "connections" with the ISI, claiming that his name figured in the document they prepared in support of farmers' protest.

Under fire from the Opposition parties for "targeting" the youth activists, police also claimed that Mumbai-based Nikita and Shantanu, an engineer residing in Maharashtra's Beed, had a Zoom meeting on January 11 with pro-Khalistani outfit Poetic Justice Foundation when modalities for creating the 'toolkit' for farmers' protest was finalised.

Police on Monday also got non-bailable warrants issued against activists Nikita and Shantanu, who investigators claimed were absconding. They claimed Nikita absconded despite giving a written undertaking that she will join investigations on February 12 at her residence, while Shantanu could not be located at his residence in Beed.

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Joint Commissioner of Police (Cyber Cell) Prem Nath told reporters that Disha, who was arrested from Bengaluru, Nikita and Mallick "collaborated" to create the toolkit, which was an online guide on how to support the ongoing protest. The email account created by Shantanu is the owner of this document and all others are its editors.

Manishi Chandra, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Cell), said the toolkit was a "carefully crafted" document, meant for circulation among a few people to guide them on which hashtag to be used on a particular day and who is to be followed.

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"The document has a list to be followed, which included media houses, established fact-checkers and NGOs among others. There was one Peter Frederick also in the list. This person was under the Indian agencies' radar since 2006 for his links with Bhajan Singh Bhinder alias Iqbal Choudhary, a leading propagandist of K-2 desk (Kashmir desk of ISI)," Chandra said.

He said it is a matter of investigation whether the three people were in contact with Frederick. "Disha will tell us about this. We want to check why Frederick was put as a resource person and whether they have any direct connection with Bhinder," he said.

Prem Nath said search warrants were issued against Nikita on February 9 and two days later, searches were conducted at her residence in Mumbai. Two laptops and an iPhone were seized from her and a written undertaking was taken from her that she will join investigations the next day.

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However, on February 12, he said, she fled from her house. Shantanu also could not be located at his residence in Maharashtra's Beed.

"We then acted against Disha, who had deleted a WhatsApp group meant to distribute the toolkit. She was arrested in the presence of her mother and the local Station House Officer. Due procedure was followed," Prem Nath said.

A senior Delhi Police official said Disha shared the document with Greta Thunberg through Telegram. There were hyperlinks in the toolkit and it was a private document to be distributed among select people.