Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale sent to custody till May 18

On Saturday, a defamation case was registered against Chitale by the Kalwa Police and the case was later transferred to the Thane crime branch

Thane: The Thane court on Sunday sent Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale to police custody till May 18. Chitale has not appointed a lawyer yet. The actor, who has worked in TV serials, was arrested on Saturday for allegedly sharing a derogatory post on Facebook about Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar.

Marathi TV actress Ketaki Chitale being taken to Thane Crime Branch Unit no 1 in thane on 14 May in Thane . (Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

On Saturday, a defamation case was registered against Chitale by the Kalwa Police and the case was later transferred to the Thane crime branch, which had sought five-day custody of Chitale.

According to a senior police inspector from Thane crime branch unit 1, “Chitale was arrested from her home in Nerul Kalamboli area on Saturday and produced before the court on Sunday. We are now on the lookout for Nitin Bhave, the author of the post shared by her.”

A total of five cases have been registered against the actor thus far for sharing a post on Sharad Pawar’s appearance, illness and voice.

Meanwhile, late on Saturday, Bhoiwada police registered a case against Chitale and Nashik resident Nikhil Bhamre for sharing a derogatory post about the NCP chief after a complaint was lodged by Prashant Divate, Mumbai president of the NCP students wing.

The case was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code like 153 A, 500, 501, 504, 506 and 34.

The Nerul police has also registered a case against Chitale. “The case was registered on Sunday as per complaint by Sumitra Bhagwan Pawar (48), a social worker from Nerul,” senior police inspector Shyam Shinde from Nerul police station said.

The case has been registered under IPCsections 500 (defamation), 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory), 505 (2) (making, publishing or circulating any statement, rumour or report promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes), 153 A (spreading disharmony among people), police said.

The post in Marathi, shared by Chitale on Friday mentioned the surname Pawar and the age of 80. The NCP supremo is 81 years old.

The post contained phrases like “hell is waiting” and “you hate Brahmins”, allegedly referring to Pawar whose party shares power in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena and Congress.

Nashik Pharmacy student Bhamre had without naming Pawar tweeted, “Time has come for Baramati’s Gandhi to create Baramati’s Nathuram Godse.”

Besides, cases have been registered against Chitale in Dhule and Pune as well.

(With inputs from Raina Assainar)