Actor Payal Rohatgi, who was arrested for her social media posts, was sent to judicial custody for eight days by a court in Bundi, about 200 km from Rajasthan capital Jaipur.
Payal Rohtagi, who was brought from Ahmedabad by the police, was formally arrested by the Bundi police in a case registered on a complaint of a Congress leader for allegedly posting objectionable content on social media sites against Nehru-Gandhi family.
The actor was formally placed under arrest by the Bundi police Monday morning and produced before the judge.
Charmesh Sharma, general secretary of the Rajasthan Youth Congress, had filed a police complaint against Rohatgi at the Sadar police station in Bundi on October 2. In his complaint, Sharma alleged that Rohatgi posted “obnoxious and controversial” content against the the Nehru-Gandhi family on her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts on September 6 and September 21 this year.
Charmesh had alleged that Payal Rohatgi not only defamed the prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi through falsehoods but also spread vulgarity and disgraced women character.
Payal Rohatgi was arrested under the information technology law and two provisions of the penal code relating to intentional insult to provoke breach of peace. Her lawyer Bhupendra Rai Saxena said Payal Rohtagi had not committed any serious offence but had been booked under penal provisions for serious offences.
Payal Rohatgi is a former Big Boss participant and has acted in films like Corporate, 36 China Town, Dhol and others.
Wrestler-turned-actor Sangram Singh, who was also a contestant on TV reality show Big Boss, described her arrest as an assault on the freedom of expression.
She had requested the Bundi court for anticipatory bail on 13 December but the court had put off the hearing till today.
