Ex-journalist Ketan Tirodkar arrested in Mumbai for his defamatory comments on Facebook

On December 2, Tirodkar posted defamatory remarks about a senior police inspector of the Mumbai crime branch on his Facebook account.

The cyber cell of the Mumbai crime branch arrested ex-journalist Ketan Tirodkar, 52, on Thursday for posting defamatory statements against some sitting judges of the Bombay high court and other public servants, including Mumbai police commissioner, on Facebook. Tirodkar was produced in court and remanded in police custody till December 11.

On December 2, Tirodkar posted defamatory remarks about a senior police inspector of the Mumbai crime branch on his Facebook account. He made several allegations against him but posted photographs of a police constable and his family, thinking it was the inspector. Several people reacted and commented on the post, including one comment which said the constable’s wife threatened to commit suicide if Tirodkar would not remove the photographs.

In the past few months, Tirodkar posted several defamatory statements on social media against several public servants, and a case was registered against him on July 21.

He was arrested under section 509 (Word gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of woman), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 500 (punishment for deformation) 505 (2) (statement creating or promoting enmity hatred or ill will between classes), 506 (2) (punishment for criminal intimidation and if threat be to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code.