Odisha Govt to Withdraw Cases Against Abhijit Iyer Mitra

Bhubaneswar: The deck is now clear for the release of research scholar Abhijit Iyer Mitra from jail as the Odisha government on Tuesday decided to withdraw all cases against him.

Sources in the Home Department said that the state government took a decision to this effect after receiving Abhijit’s letter to the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary.
The letter, requesting release was forwarded to the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary by the DIG Prisons on Monday. Abhijit is presently lodged in Jharpada jail.

In his letter dated November 20, Abhijit has requested for his release from the jail as the State Assembly has pardoned him after accepting his unconditional apology for his derogatory remarks on Odisha. He had submitted an apology on the recommendation of the House Committee.

After his first appearance before the House Committee of the State Assembly on October 23, the Saheed Nagar police had arrested Abhijit on the same day and produced him before the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court in Bhubaneswar, which remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days till November 5. The police had later sent him to Jharpada jail.

On October 25, the Konark Police had taken Abhijit on a four-day remand to interrogate him over his derogatory remarks against the Sun Temple and about his aerial tour to Konark.

The House Committee on October 23 had asked Abhijit to appear in person on November 2 and submit an affidavit. Acting on the directive of the committee, he had appeared on November 2. But as he had failed to submit the affidavit, the court had asked him to appear again on the next day with the affidavit, which he did.

The Commissionerate Police had admitted Abhijit to the Capital Hospital on Sunday after he complained of acute stomach pain.