'Objectionable' online post about Pawar: Actor Ketaki Chitale remanded in police custody till May 18
Thane, May 15: A court here in Maharashtra on Sunday remanded Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale in police custody till May 18 following her arrest over allegedly sharing an objectionable post on social media about NCP chief Sharad Pawar, an official said.
Later, the Pune cyber police, who have also registered a case against Chitale, said they will seek the actor's custody after her remand with the Thane police ends.
Besides, an organisation in Pune demanded that Chitale be charged with treason over the alleged reference to Sant Tukaram in the post shared by her.
Chitale (29), a film and TV actress, was arrested by the Thane police on Saturday over a post she allegedly shared on her Facebook page.
She was on Sunday produced before a holiday court which remanded her in the Thane police custody till May 18, a senior police official said.
Later in the day, Pune cyber police inspector Dagadu Hake said, "We have booked Chitale and will seek her custody after her remand with the Thane police gets over."
Meanwhile, the Sant Tukaram Dehu Sansthan has written to Dehu police in Pune, demanding action against Chitale over the alleged reference to the 17th century poet in the post shared by the actor.
"Not just Sant Tukaram's name, but one should not use the name of any saint to gain such publicity. She (Chitale) should be booked under charges related to treason," Ajit More, the sansthan trustee, said while talking to reporters.
Chitale and 23-year-old pharmacy student Nikhil Bhamre were arrested on Saturday for allegedly sharing objectionable social media posts about Pawar.
While Chitale was arrested by the Thane police, Bhamre was arrested in Nashik for allegedly making an objectionable comment on Twitter against Pawar, whose party shares power with the Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra.
The post shared by Chitale, which was in verse form, was purportedly written by someone else. It contained phrases like "hell is waiting" and "you hate Brahmins", allegedly referring to the NCP president.
Chitale was booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 500 (defamation), 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory), 505 (2) (making, publishing or circulating any statement, rumour or report promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes) and 153 A (spreading disharmony among people).
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Thumbay Group begins work on Sharjah’s first private integrated psychiatric, rehabilitation hospital
Sharjah: Thumbay Group has laid the foundation stone for the Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital at Sharjah Healthcare City, a 120-bed facility that the company says will be the region’s first private, fully integrated hospital dedicated to psychiatric care, neuro-rehabilitation and addiction recovery.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri, who is also a member of the Sharjah Executive Council, in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
Spread across 110,000 square feet, the hospital is being developed to address growing demand for specialised mental health and rehabilitation services in the UAE and the wider Gulf region.
The facility will include inpatient and outpatient services in psychiatry, neuro-rehabilitation, addiction treatment, child and adolescent mental health, and care for mood and anxiety disorders. It will also feature VIP inpatient villas designed to provide privacy and support long-term recovery.
A mosque, named the Thumbay Masjid, will be constructed within the campus and will be open to the public.
The hospital is being designed to meet standards for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an internationally recognised accreditation system for rehabilitation facilities.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri said the project reflects Sharjah’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in all aspects of wellbeing.
“Mental health and rehabilitation have long needed dedicated infrastructure, and we are proud to support a private partner whose vision matches the ambition of this Emirate,” he said.
Dr. Thumbay Moideen said the project was a response to a growing need for specialised mental healthcare services in the region.
“We have spent over three decades building healthcare in this region, and the one conversation that has grown louder every year is mental health. Families have been carrying this quietly for too long. This hospital is our answer. It is purpose-built, not retrofitted, and it has been designed around dignity, recovery, and outcomes that families can trust,” he said.
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026, and the hospital is expected to become operational by mid-2027.
Once completed, the facility will become part of Thumbay Group’s network of healthcare, education and diagnostic institutions across the UAE.
