Cops seize actor’s laptop, phone; 3 FIRS in Mumbai
THANE/MUMBAI: A crime branch team on Monday took Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale to her residence in Navi Mumbai and seized her mobile phone and laptop.
The police, however, have not received any lead on advocate Nitin Bhave whose verse Chitale had posted on her Facebook page against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar.
Meanwhile, three fresh FIRS were registered against the actor at Powai, Bhoiwada, and Goregaon police stations on Sunday.
The cybercrime unit is now checking her messages and every link she browsed to find out the whereabouts of Bhave. “We have seized her personal devices like phone and laptop. We are checking all the information received from her phone and laptop, and also trying to locate the advocate,” an officer from Thane crime branch unit 1 said.
The Powai police booked Chitale based on a complaint filed by Nitin Hindurao Deshmukh (37), president of the local unit of NCP’S youth wing.
The actor was charged under sections 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), and 153 A (spreading disharmony among people) of the Indian Penal Code.
In his complaint, Deshmukh said he was going through his Facebook account when he came across the post by Chitale containing phrases like “hell is waiting” and “you hate Brahmins”, allegedly referring to Pawar.
The Kalwa police registered a defamation case against Chitale on Saturday for her controversial post on Pawar, making personal attacks on his health and demeanour. The case was later transferred to the Thane crime branch and she was arrested. Chitale, who had acted in Marathi serials. was presented before a Thane court on Sunday, which remanded her in police custody till May 18.
THE KALWA POLICE REGISTERED A DEFAMATION CASE AGAINST CHITALE ON SATURDAY FOR CONTROVERSIAL POST ON NCP CHIEF SHARAD PAWAR