Marathi actor arrested over allegedly derogatory social media post targeting Sharad Pawar
Ketaki Chitale has been booked on charges of defamation and promoting enmity for sharing a poem that referred to the NCP leader’s last name.
The Maharashtra Police on Saturday arrested Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale in connection with an allegedly derogatory social media post about Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, PTI reported.
On Friday, Chitale had shared on Facebook, a poem purportedly written by another person. The poem mentioned the NCP leader’s last name and referred to a person above 80. The social media post said that “hell is waiting” for Pawar, and made references to his illness and appearance.
The poem also said that Pawar harbours hatred for Brahmins.
The NCP, along with the Shiv Sena and Congress, is part of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra.
Swapnil Netke, an NCP leader from the Thane district, had filed a complaint in the matter, The Indian Express reported. The police filed a first information report against Chitale under Sections 500 (defamation), 501 (printing or engraving defamatory material) and 153A (promoting enmity between groups) of the Indian Penal Code.
The actor will be produced before a court on Sunday.
Workers of the NCP’s women’s wing threw black ink and eggs at Chitale outside a police station in Thane district.
This is the second instance in as many days of a person being arrested on account of a post targeting Pawar. On Friday, a pharmacy student in Nashik city, Nikhil Bhamre, was arrested in connection with an allegedly provocative tweet against the NCP leader.