Bollywood singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya was arrested in July this year for his offensive tweets directed at a female journalist, confirmed the Mumbai Police. The singer, however, was released on bail then.
Bhattacharya is known for singing in many of Shah Rukh Khan’s films in the 1990s
He had a police complaint filed against him early last month after sparking off a Twitter fight with Janta Ka Reporter’s editor-in-chief Rifat Jawaid and journalist Swati Chaturvedi. The singer who is known for being vocal about his right-leaning opinions, exchanged heated retorts with both the journalists on social media. Abhijeet had used offensive language against Chaturvedi when she had objected to his tweets terming the death of a Infosys employee in Chennai as ‘love jihad’.
बेशर्म बुढ़िया..U not proud of Indians? Wats your breed? U sk pakis..I fk Pakis, U lick..I kick, dnt block just wait https://t.co/0BWHU60rPm
— abhijeet (@abhijeetsinger) July 2, 2016
While it wasn’t reported then, Abhijeet was finally arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national executive member and spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon, following which the police had registered an FIR against him.
.@mumbaipolice arrested @abhijeetsinger on my complaint on 26/07, released him on bail later. Serves him right @bainjal
— Preeti Sharma Menon (@PreetiSMenon) August 26, 2016
CP (cyber) Sachin Patil told the Indian Express, “Abhijeet was arrested in July on the basis of the FIR against him for online abuse. However, since it was a bailable offence, he was given bail soon after the arrest.” The police had registered an FIR in the second week of July after the singer had tweeted abusive language towards the journalist and deeming her a ‘presstitude’. Bhattacharya’s son had signed the surety for the bail bond. Reportedly, his phone was confiscated by the police to be sent for forensic tests.
The singer frequently makes controversial statements via his Twitter handle. He is known for abusing women over social media, calling them besharam budhia (shameless old woman) whenever they cross paths with him. He gained further notoriety during Salman Khan’s hit-and-run case this year. He made an insensitive comment, “Kutta road pe soyega kutte ki maut marega, roads garib ke baap ki nahi hai (Dogs who sleep on the road will die a dog’s death). I was homeless an year never slept on the road [sic].”
Feature Image Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle
