Kannada actor Chetan Kumar will remain in judicial custody in Parappana Agrahara jail on his birthday after he was imprisoned for his tweet against a high court judge.
Chetan was sent to prison on Tuesday after he tweeted against a judge who is also currently a part of the bench hearing petitions over the Hijab row in Karnataka, regarding a rape trial.
The Karnataka police registered a suo-moto case under the IPC’s sections 505 (2) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of the peace).
An Activist By Heart
Chetan Kumar, an activist by heart, stands up against corruption, communal politics, and fascism. He constantly participates in farmers, workers, Dalits, and Adivasis protests. A devoted socialist, Chetan has been anti-establishment and pro-Kannada.
He was also involved with Film Industry for Rights and Equality (FIRE), the organisation that addresses issues of women, writers, and workers in the Kannada film industry.
Chetan made his debut with KM Chaitanya who directed his first film Aa Dinagalu (2007). It revolved around Bengaluru’s underworld during the 1980s and was a huge hit with the masses.
Talking about the actor KM Chaitanya said, “He grew up in a family which is involved in social causes. His brother had contested elections for the Green Party in the United States. You can call it accidental or incidental. Chetan was in India for research work as a Fulbright scholar and worked in conjunction with the National School of Drama, Bengaluru. That was when we came across Chetan and decided to cast him in the movie. Had he not entered the sandalwood industry, I think he would either be an activist or a researcher as he does both with a lot of passion,”.
About his arrest, Chaitanya said, “Chetan should be given a fair chance to defend himself legally. Unfortunately, we see a lot of vendetta arrests. It (vendetta) might or might not be the case, but Chetan should be given an opportunity.”
