Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday granted bail to research scholar Abhijit Iyer Mitra, who was arrested for his vitriolic and derogatory remarks on Odisha and its culture.
The court, while granting bail to Abhijit in the cases registered against him by Saheed Nagar Police and Konark Police, made it clear that the lower court can lay down the terms and conditions of the bail.
He can now walk out of the Jharpada Jail in Bhubaneswar.
The bail to Abhijit followed the Odisha government’s decision to withdraw all cases against him.
“Abhijit Iyer Mitra has made an appeal to the Government of Odessa to consider withholding sanction to prosecute him in certain criminal cases pending against him. He has appealed ‘to accept his apology and contrition’ in having wounded the sentiments of the people of Odisha without intention. He has further mentioned that in consideration of his unconditional apology in having hurt the sentiments of the people of Odisha unintentionally “without malice or mal-intent” the Hon’ble Odisha Legislative Assembly has pardoned him on November 16, 2018. Taking into account his representation, the Government has decided not to accord sanction of prosecution in cases where prosecution has been sought and also decided to take steps to withdraw other cases pending against him by following the laid-down procedures,” the Home Department said in a release on Tuesday.
Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy has lavishly praised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the Odisha Assembly for their magnanimity in withdrawing all cases against Abhijit.
In a Twitter post, Swamy has said that despite the Supreme Court’s stricture that had told Abhijit’s lawyer that his client is safe in the jail, it is due to the magnanimity of the Odisha Chief Minister and the State Assembly that he will be released from jail as the state government has decided to withdraw all cases against him. He also said that Abhijit should learn how to use his language on the culture of a state.
In his letter dated November 20, Abhijit had requested the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary for his release from jail as the State Assembly has pardoned him. 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 December 2 after he complained of acute stomach pain.
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