‘Abuse of process of law’: Actor Ketaki Chitale challenges FIR in HC petition

Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale has said that she was being targeted with an objective of striking fear in the minds of people and sought quashing of the FIR filed against her.

MUMBAI: Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale, who was arrested on May 14 for posting allegedly derogatory content on social media against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, has termed her arrest as “abuse of process of law” and said that she was being targeted with an objective of striking fear in the minds of people.

Ketaki Chitale was arrested on May 14 for posting allegedly derogatory content on Facebook against NCP chief Sharad Pawar. (HT File Photo)

Chitale, who approached the Bombay high court on Monday for quashing of the FIR against her, sought directions from the court to declare her arrest “illegal and violative of her fundamental rights” and demanded compensation for her “unlawful arrest.”

Chitale was arrested on May 14, a day after she posted a Marathi poem on her Facebook account referring to the ailments of the 81-year-old NCP leader.

A student from Nashik, Nitin Bhamre, 22, was also arrested on the same day for posting allegedly objectionable tweets against the NCP chief. In a petition, Bhamre alleged that he was being victimised though he had a fundamental right to express his views.

People familiar with the matter said that Chitale’s lawyers are likely to seek clubbing of the petitions filed by her and Bhamre for hearing them together.