Marathi Actor Ketaki Chitale's Bail Plea Rejected

A magistrate's court here on Thursday rejected a bail application filed by Marathi TV and film actor Ketaki Chitale, arrested for allegedly sharing an objectionable' post about NCP chief Sharad Pawar on social media.

She was arrested on May 15 after a case was registered against her under IPC sections 500 (defamation), 501 (printing or engraving defamatory matter) and 153A (promoting enmity between two groups on the basis of religion, caste, etc) at Kalwa police station here.

After the expiry of her police custody on May 18, Chitale was remanded in judicial custody till June 1. Dismissing her bail application, Judicial Magistrate First Class B H Parmar said the alleged offence was of serious nature, hence no relief can be granted.

Chitale is accused of sharing a Marathi verse -- apparently written by someone else -- which 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.