Hijab controversy: Actor Chetan moves court seeking bail

Several Dalit and progressive organisations held a protest in Bengaluru against the actor’s arrest

Actor and activist Chetan Kumar A., who was arrested for posting critical remarks about a Karnataka High Court judge on Twitter, moved court on February 23 seeking bail. He has been lodged in Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara.

The police took suo motu action and arrested him on February 22 after the actor posted some tweets on the judge, Krishna Dixit, who is part of the three-judge bench hearing petitions related to the hijab controversy.

His counsel S. Balan told The Hindu that arguments over the bail application were completed in the 8th ACMM Court on February 23, and the magistrate had reserved the order for February 24. 

Several Dalit and progressive organisations in Bengaluru held a protest against the actor’s arrest. His wife, Megha, who participated in the protest, alleged that the police had kept her in the dark for several hours without revealing her husband’s location or the case against him. “He is clearly being targeted for his activism, like anyone who is speaking against the incumbent regime. The answer to this is only to intensify our struggle,” she said. 

Chetan was booked under Sections 505 (2) for ‘statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes’ and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code. Both are non-bailable offences and can lead to three years in prison.