Marathi actor Ketaki walks free from Thane Central Jail

After spending over 40 days in Thane Central Jail, Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale finally walked free on Thursday evening; dressed in a peach-coloured embroidered kurta, Chitale, who smiled all the way to her car, refused to comment on the controversy saying she will talk when the time was right

After spending over 40 days in Thane Central Jail, Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale finally walked free on Thursday evening.

Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale is all smiles as she waves from her car following her release from the Thane Central Jail on Thursday. (PRAFUL GANGURDE/HT PHOTO)

Dressed in a peach-coloured embroidered kurta, Chitale, who smiled all the way to her car, refused to comment on the controversy saying she would talk when the time was right.

Chitale was arrested for her Facebook post allegedly defaming NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Chitale told the media persons, “I will speak when the time is right. Now, I want to first reach home. Inside the prison, I took up teaching the inmates who were pursuing their first year in Bachelor of Arts. I have realised that they need good teachers to guide them.”

Chitale was arrested on May 14. She was remanded to police custody up to May 18. She was then sent to judicial custody for 14 days. Her bail application was rejected the same day. On May 20, the Rabale police in Navi Mumbai got her custody in another case under the Atrocity Act registered against her two years ago. Her lawyer also went to the High Court to quash the case against her, while she also approached the National Commission for Women. Chitale got bail in the Rabale case on June 16 while on June 22, she was given bail in the defamation case.

The post she shared was a poem written by a lawyer, Nitin Bhave, who is still not traced by the Thane police.

The police are also still scrutinising her gadgets including laptop and phone to find any evidence related to Bhave.

A crime branch officer from Thane said, “Our case is still under investigation. We haven’t received any clue about Bhave. Chitale also didn’t know Bhave, but our cyber team is working on it and while we submit our charge sheet in the case, we will mention it.”