Actor Ketaki Chitale asks Bombay HC to quash FIR for alleged derogatory post on Sharad Pawar
There is a concerted effort to strike fear in the minds of Maharashtra’s residents by deterring anyone who expresses views that offend the NCP chief, she said.
Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale on Monday asked the Bombay High Court to quash the first information report registered against her for allegedly posting derogatory content about Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar, Bar and Bench reported.
The 29-year-old actor, on May 13 had shared a poem about Pawar on Facebook and attributed it to advocate Nitin Bhave. The poem had mentioned the Nationalist Congress Party leader’s last name and referred to a person above 80 years of age.
The social media post had said that “hell is waiting” for Pawar and made references to his illness and appearance. The poem added that Pawar harbours hatred for Brahmins.
Chitale was arrested on May 15 based on a complaint filed by Nationalist Congress Party worker Swapnil Netke.
The police registered a first information report against the actor under Indian Penal Code Sections 500 (defamation), 501 (printing or engraving defamatory material) and 153A (promoting enmity between groups).
In her petition on Monday, the actor alleged that the manner in which the police filed the complaint proved that she was being targeted.
“An invisible hand is targeting the petitioner and there is a concerted effort to strike fear in the minds” of Maharashtra citizens and the petitioner to “deter everyone against coming out with any expressions of views that would offend some Pawar”, the plea said, according to Bar and Bench.
The actor, who is currently in judicial custody, claimed that the complaint filed against her was “an abuse of the process of law”, and therefore sought to quash the first information report, PTI reported. The matter will be heard on June 10.
Chitale’s post had sparked massive outrage among Nationalist Congress Party workers. Some had thrown black ink and eggs at the actor outside Kalwa police station in Thane on May 15.
This is the second instance of a person being arrested for a social media post targeting Pawar. A pharmacy student in Nashik city, Nikhil Bhamre, was arrested in connection with an allegedly provocative tweet against the Nationalist Congress Party leader.
He has been charged under Indian Penal Code Sections 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups), 500 (defamation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation).