Journalist Abhijit Iyer-Mitra has been arrested by the Bhubaneswar Police in connection with the case filed at Saheed Nagar police station over his derogatory remarks against Odisha and Konark Sun temple.
Bhubaneswar Police Commissioner Satyajit Mohanty told media, "The Investigation Officer decided to arrest him on the basis of available evidence on record and to produce him before the judicial magistrate of Bhubaneswar court to consider his bail application. As of now, we are not asking for any remand because whatever information we wanted to get from him, he co-operated and we got it from him."
Earlier in the day, Mitra was taken into custody by Odisha police after he appeared before the House Committee of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. Mitra is facing the allegation of making derogatory remarks on the Konark Sun Temple and Odisha. He is slated to appear before the House panel again on November 2.
The columnist had been summoned by the House Committee, headed by Leader of Opposition, Narasingha Mishra to appear before it on October 11, which he skipped.
The House Committee then issued another summon to the scribe to appear on October 23 at 11 am while directing the Director General of Police to issue the notice in the matter.
During a visit to the Konark Sun Temple on September 16, Mitra had posted a satirical video on Twitter, where he made derogatory remarks by posting a satirical video on Twitter insulting Odisha, its culture, tradition and the lawmakers.
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Mitra was arrested by Odisha Police on September 20 from Delhi on charges of hurting religious sentiments. A Delhi court later granted him bail against a bond of one lakh and directed him to join the investigation at Konark police station.
He moved the Supreme Court for bail, where his plea was quashed.
On October 11, Mitra wrote an apology letter to the House Committee and the Speaker of the Odisha Assembly over his derogatory remarks and other offences he is accused of.