Mumbai court notes that Rohatgi’s tweets from June 2020 prima facie show disregard against Muslim women and the community as a whole
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — A metropolitan court in Mumbai has ordered enquiry against Bollywood actress Payal Rohatgi for her offensive tweets against Jamia Student and anti-CAA activist Safoora Zargar.
According to legal news website Live Law, the court noted that Rohatgi’s tweets from June 2020 prima facie show disregard against Muslim women and the community as a whole.
The magistrate Bhagawat Zirape asserted that everyone has the right to profess their religion.
Rohatgi’s offensive tweets had come at time when Zargar, 27, was behind bars in connection with the Delhi riots conspiracy case. Zargar was later released on humanitarian grounds.
After Rohatgi’s tweet triggered outcry, Ali Kaashif Khan Deshmukh a lawyer in Mumbai, approached police with a complaint but they declined to file a case and eventually he moved Andheri Court.
Khan alleged that Rohatgi’s tweets spread hatred against Muslim community and defamed Muslim women. He sought that she should be booked under sections 153(A) (Promoting enmity between different groups), 153(B) (Assertions prejudicial to national integration), 295(A) (Deliberate acts to hurt religious feelings..), 298 and 505 of the IPC and sections 67, 67A (punishment for publishing obscene material) of the Information Technology Act, the report said.
The court on March 30 issued order under section 202 of CrPC asking the police to investigate before proceeding against the accused and file a report before April 30.
The court reasoned that police investigation was necessary since 65B certificate of IT Act was not attached with the complaint.
