Payal Rohatgi to Face the Wrath of Jail for 8 Days for Posting Offensive Content Online

Actress Payal Rohatgi was arrested by Bundi police, Ahmedabad on Monday over objectionable content against the Nehru-Gandhi family on her social media. She had requested the Bundi court for anticipatory bail on 13 December but the court put off the hearing till today. Her bail has been rejected and she has been sent to eight-day judicial custody by a local court in Bundi.

Payal was booked under the IT Act and two provisions of the penal code relating to intentional insult to provoke breach of peace for the objectionable content she posted online against Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and other members of the Nehru family. She was served notice earlier this month and also tweeted a sassy response stating, "I am arrested by @PoliceRajasthan for making a video on #MotilalNehru which I made from taking information from @google Freedom of Speech is a joke @PMOIndia @HMOIndia.”

Charmesh Sharma, the General Secretary of the Rajasthan Youth Congress, had filed a police complaint against the actress at the Sadar police station in Bundi on October 2. In his complaint, Sharma alleged that Payal posted “obnoxious and controversial” content against the Nehru-Gandhi family on her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts on September 6 and September 21 this year, reported Hindustan Times.

Charmesh also alleged that Payal not only defamed the Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi but also spread vulgarity and disgraced women's character.

Besides, politician Shashi Tharoor also tweeted saying that Payal Rohatgi should be released as it upholds the freedom of expression. "There’s little doubt that the comments of @Payal_Rohatgi were tasteless or false, typical Sanghi drivel circulated on @whatsapp. But to arrest her is unwise: upholding freedom of expression means allowing her to say stupid things w’out police getting involved. She shd be released,” he wrote on Twitter.

Payal Rohatgi is a former Big Boss participant and has featured in Bollywood films like Corporate, 36 China Town, Dhol among others.