Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Outrage as India actor arrested for tweet on hijab row judge

Outrage as India actor arrested for tweet on hijab row judge

Chetan Kumar had commented that judge overseeing hijab ban case previously made ‘disturbing comments’ in a rape case.

Police in the southern Indian state of Karnataka have arrested actor and activist Chetan Kumar over a tweet criticising one of the judges hearing pleas against ban on hijab in schools, causing outrage online.

The police action comes a week after Kumar, a US citizen, questioned in a Twitter post whether Justice Krishna Dixit has “the clarity required” to oversee the hijab row case after previously making “disturbing comments” in a rape case.


“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?” Kumar wrote on Twitter last week.

Kumar’s tweet from about two years ago referred to Dixit granting pre-arrest bail to the accused rapist after claiming that the woman’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 said in 2020. He added that it was “not the way our women react when they are ravished”.

Kumar’s wife Megha conducted a Facebook live on Tuesday evening after his arrest and said no one informed the family about the arrest or the reason, the Hindustan Times reported.

On Tuesday evening, the police issued a statement, announcing that Kumar had been arrested for his tweet under “Intent to incite a class or community to commit offence against another class or community” and for “intentionally insulting, thereby giving provocation to any person to break public peace” of the Indian Penal Code, local news reported.

The ban on hijab in colleges in Karnataka state has triggered a major fight amid growing concerns that the attacks on Muslim symbols and practices are part of the larger Hindu far-right agenda of imposing majoritarian values on minorities.

A panel of three judges at the Karnataka High Court is hearing various petitions challenging the ban.

Earlier this month, hijab-wearing Muslim girl students were barred from entering schools and colleges across the state.

Following Kumar’s arrest, many took to Twitter to slam the move by authorities and called for the actor’s immediate release.

Former Indian actress and politician Divya Spandana, also known as Ramya tweeted, “What is wrong with this tweet for the police to arrest Chetan?”

Twitter user Sankul Sonawane wrote that Kumar “has been targeted for months by [Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party] BJP in Karnataka for working towards the upliftment of the marginalised!

“The witchhunt must stop & he must be released immediately!”


Writer Suraj Kumar Bauddh tweeted in support of Kumar, saying, “This is a very cowardly and cheap act of the government.”


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
×