Eight Days Jail For Actress Payal Rohatgi

Bollywood starlet Payal Rohatgi is in the news for reasons other than acting. She was arrested and sent to judicial custody for another eight days by a local court in Rajasthan on Monday. 

She was arrested from Ahmedabad in Gujarat by a Rajasthan Police team on Sunday for posting objectionable content about the Nehru-Gandhi family. She had been served a notice earlier this month. A police team was sent to detain her because she had failed to answer the notice. 

The Bundi District Court had earlier rejected Rohatgi’s bail plea. Her lawyer is planning an appeal against that rejection.

Arguing for Payal Rohatgi, lawyer Bhupedra Saxena told the court his client had freedom of expression that was guaranteed under the Constitution.

“Freedom of expression is a right guaranteed under the Constitution and whatever Payal Rohatgi said was not something of her own volition… she was quoting from MO Mathai’s book,” he said.

In response Dinesh Parekh, appearing for the complainant, Rajasthan Youth Congress General Secretary Charmesh Sharma, reminded the court Rohatgi had posted scurrilous content about members of the Nehru-Gandhi family. Sharma alleged the content tarnished the image of the country.