Ex-Journalist Arrested in Mumbai for Posting Defamatory Comments

Former journalist Ketan Tirodkar was arrested on Thursday and has been remanded to police custody till 11 Dec.

File picture of Ketan Tirodkar.

(Photo courtesy: Youtube)

Ketan Tirodkar, a former journalist and RTI activist, was arrested by the cyber branch of the Mumbai police on Thursday, for allegedly posting derogatory and lewd remarks against women on social media, says a Times of India report.

These women had reportedly approached the police back in July, and after four months of investigations, Tirodkar was arrested in Mumbai and presented in front of the Esplanade court which remanded him to police custody till 11 December.

The journalist turned activist had also allegedly posted defamatory statements against several bureaucrats and judicial officers, including several sitting judges of the Bombay High Court and the Mumbai Police Commissioner, reports Hindustan Times. He had even accused several of them of corruption.

According to The Asian Age, Tirodkar had posted several pictures of these women drinking alcohol as a part of some festivities and posted extremely lewd, abusive comments along with them.

The accused was arrested for a complaint registered in July. The investigation was underway for all this while and the arrest was made with all evidences and proof in hand.

Akbar Pathan, Deputy Commissioner of police (cybercrime) told <i>The Asian Age</i>

According to PTI, Tirodkar has been booked under sections 509 (act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 506 (criminal intimidation), 500 (defamation), 505 (2) (statements creating enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The devices he used to post the lewd comments through, have also been seized by the police, it adds.

Tirodkar had earlier been arrested in 2004 for his alleged links with gangster Chhota Shakeel, but had later been granted bail, reports The Times of India.

(With inputs from The Times of India, The Asian Age and PTI.)