Actor Ketaki Chitale, who was arrested in May for allegedly sharing an objectionable post about Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, today shared her ordeal with NDTV. The actor claimed that she was put in jail for merely "copy-pasting a post from Facebook" and uploading it on her profile.
"The next thing I know was that the police were at my door, taking me away, arresting me... during that whole ordeal there was a mob of 20-25 people, they molested me, attacked me, hit me, threw toxic colour at me under the guise of ink, eggs were being thrown. Not only at me, but they also assaulted the police," Ketaki Chitale told NDTV.
A total of 22 FIRs were lodged in various districts in Maharashtra against the actor. She was arrested on May 14 and was granted bail on June 24.
"I am fighting 22 FIRs (first information reports) for just one post, out of which I have got bail in one of the FIRs. So 21 FIRs are still there," Ms Chitale said.
She was charged under sections relating to public mischief, defamation, and promoting enmity between different groups.
The 29-year-old actor said that she had not done something to deserve this.
"Whatever I posted was according to the freedom of speech and expression. I cannot help that people misinterpreted it in a certain way... I was behind bars for no rhyme or reason. Pawar is not a religion," Ketaki Chitale told NDTV.
In May, 23-year-old pharmacy student Nikhil Bhamre was also arrested by Nashik police for allegedly making an objectionable comment on Twitter against Mr Pawar.
The arrests have been criticised by free-speech advocates and civil society.
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