Payal Rohatgi sent to judicial custody till 24 December over Motilal Nehru video controversy after local court rejects bail

Former Bigg Boss contestant Payal Rohatgi, who had been arrested by the Rajasthan police for allegedly making a video on Motilal Nehru, has been sent to judicial custody for eight days by a local court in Bundi, reports The Quint . Her bail plea was rejected on Monday and will remain in custody till 24 December.

The actress was booked by the Bundi police under the IT Act on 10 October for the objectionable content against Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and other members of the family. She was served a notice earlier this month and told to furnish a reply in this connection.

Shashi Tharoor took to Twitter to say that though Rohatgi’s comments are “tasteless and false”, but to arrest her is “unwise.”

Have never agreed with anything #PayalRohatgi has said. Think she’s stupid. But that’s no reason to arrest someone in a democracy. @ashokgehlot51 @SachinPilot #FreedomOfSpeech

— Reema Kagti (@kagtireema) December 15, 2019

There’s little doubt that the comments of @Payal_Rohatgi were tasteless &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.

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 15, 2019

I agree with Apar. The Congress government in Rajasthan should not follow in the footsteps of BJP. CM Gehlot should immediately intervene and release her. https://t.co/vgfqoOakzE

— ParanjoyGuhaThakurta (@paranjoygt) December 15, 2019

Rajasthan Police arrested her from Ahmedabad, said Bundi Superintendent of Police (SP) Mamta Gupta.

State Youth Congress general secretary and a resident of Bundi, Charmesh Sharma, had submitted a complaint along with copies of the offensive content after which a case was registered against the actress. The case alleged that the video could hamper India’s relations with other nations as it included objectionable comments, with pictures, in the context of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s death.

(With inputs from Press Trust of India)