A Magistrate court in Thane rejected the bail plea of Marathi actor Ketki Chitale who was arrested for allegedly uploading a social media post against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar. Support for the young actor is growing online with #ketakichitale campaign on Twitter.
"This is harassment, censorship and crushing freedom of expression," said one Twitter user after Chitale was denied bail on Friday. The Magistrate court had said that the crime was of a 'serious nature'.
if a social media post by even a relative unknown (compared to the maharathis in the country) can cause social disturbance, then something is seriously wrong with the state. This is harassment. and censorship. and crushing freedom of expressionhttps://t.co/61WjxIgR4r
A week ago, NCP workers threw blank ink and eggs at the Marathi actor outside the Kalamboli Police station while she was being taken away by the police. Later, women workers of the NCP were seen throwing their sandals and slippers at Chitale’s photo.
This is Ketaki Chitale. She criticised Sharad Pawar in an FB post without even taking his full name. Black ink & rotten eggs were thrown at her. She was manhandled. She was arrested. She has been in jail for a week. And today, bail has been denied to her. BUT MODI IS FASCIST. pic.twitter.com/FGv3tbxmjs
"Black ink and rotten eggs were thrown at her. She was manhandled. She was arrested. She has been in jail for a week. And today, bail has been denied to her," said another user.
Chitale was arrested for sharing a poem, referring to Pawar and describing him as someone who “hates Brahmins” and for whom “hell is waiting”.
Ratan Lal is out, Ketaki Chitale rots in jail. The same people demanding Ratan’s arrest, outraging over the Ketaki’s arrest. They decry judicial duplicity but never introspect on their own duplicity. The problem isn’t the judiciary, it’s you - you get the judiciary you deserve.
"Ratan Lal is out, Ketaki Chitale rots in jail. The same people demanding Ratan’s arrest decry judicial duplicity but never introspect on their own duplicity. The problem isn’t the judiciary, it’s you - you get the judiciary you deserve," said another user, referring to a Delhi court order that granted bail to Delhi University professor Lal, who was arrested over a social media post on Gyanvapi Mosque.
Criticising Pawar is indeed serious? The life and death of a government, no less, depends on it. #ketakichitale must understand that she is lucky to have escaped the sedition charges. She must know she lives in Maharashtra. https://t.co/tIMnfw4u49
"She [Chitale] is lucky to have escaped the sedition charges. She must know she lives in Maharashtra," said another. Recently sedition charges were filed against MP Navneet Rana and her husband Ravi Rana after they threatened to chant the Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray’s residence.
The case registered against her is under Sections 500 (defamation), 501 (printing or engraving defamatory matter) and 153A (promoting enmity between two groups on the basis of religion, caste, etc) of the Indian Penal Code at Kalwa police station.
Not only was Chitale denied bail, her judicial custody was also extended for another 14 days.
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