Bengaluru: Kannada film actor Chetan Kumar Ahimsa has been arrested allegedly for his objectionable tweet against the a High Court judge who is hearing the Hijab case.
"Kannada film actor and activist Chetan Ahimsa has been arrested by Bengaluru City Police. An on-its-own FIR was registered on Tuesday and under 505(2) and 504 of the IPC. Based on the tweet, the FIR was registered in Sheshadripuram Police Station," M N Anucheth, the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Central Division said in a statement.
Chetan had allegedly tweeted against a High Court judge hearing the Hijab case.
A US citizen and a Fulbright scholar, Kumar is a staunch Dalit rights activist who has participated in several anti-right wing protests in Karnataka, according to BBC.
Critics say he's often targeted for his activism and social work - the artist is already facing two police complaints for his statements against the Brahmin community.
On 16 February, Kumar's tweet referred to a rape case in which Justice Dixit had given anticipatory bail to the accused after observing that the lady's statement was "a bit difficult to believe".
"The explanation offered by her that after the perpetration of the act she was tired and fell asleep is unbecoming of an Indian woman," the judge had said in 2020, adding that it was "not the way our women react when they are ravished".
Sharing a screenshot of the observations, Kumar wrote: "Justice Krishna Dixit made such disturbing comments in a rape case. Now this same judge is determining whether hijabs are acceptable or not in government schools. Does he have the clarity required?"
Police in Bengaluru city took notice of Kumar's tweet and charged him with "intent to incite a class or community to commit offence" and "intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace", according to ANI news agency.
Police added that the actor would be produced before a judicial magistrate, but did not specify when, BBC reported on Wednesday.
