A Delhi court on Thursday rejected the Odisha Police’s plea to take blogger and political commentator Abhijit Iyer-Mitra on transit remand and granted him conditional bail.
On Wednesday, an FIR was registered against Mr. Iyer-Mitra in Odisha’s Konark police station for allegedly posting “objectionable” remarks on the Konark Temple on social media and hurting religious sentiments.
A team reached south-east Delhi’s Hazarat Nizamuddin police station with a warrant against Mr. Iyer-Mitra, who lives in that area. He was called for interrogation and was formally arrested.
The blogger was produced before a Magistrate in a Saket court where the Odisha Police sought his three-day transit remand. The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate granted conditional bail to Mr. Iyer-Mitra till September 28 and directed him to appear at the Konark police station. Mr. Iyer-Mitra had recently visited Odisha and accompanied former MP Baijayant Panda during his controversial helicopter trip in the State. While Mr. Panda is facing police investigation for allegedly flying the helicopter at a low height, disturbing wildlife over Chilika Lake, Mr. Iyer-Mitra has invited police ire by posting an “objectionable” video on the Konark Temple.
Mocking State
After the video triggered a controversy, other tweets of Mr. Iyer-Mitra were also dug out. Those comments seemed to be mocking the State, its lawmakers and the Jagannath Temple, further enraging the people of Odisha. “Two complaints were filed at the Konark Police Station in Puri district and the Sahid Nagar Police Station in Bhubaneswar against Mr. Iyer-Mitra for hurting religious sentiments,” said Soumendra Priyadarshi, IGP (Central).
The Odisha Assembly on Thursday constituted a House Committee to summon Mr. Iyer-Mitra and ask him the context of the comments in his social media account.
“If the comments by Mr. Iyer-Mitra that appeared in media are true, they amount to a breach of privilege of members as well as the State Assembly. The committee will give a fair opportunity to the accused person to present his point of views,” said Leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra, who is chairing the committee. The committee has been asked to place its report on the first day of next session.
