Anti-Odisha remarks: More relief for Abhijit as HC grants him bail

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court today granted bail to Delhi-based defence analyst Abhijit Iyer Mitra in two cases registered against him at the Saheed Nagar and Konark police stations.

“Two non-bailable offences 295 A and 153 A have been dropped from the chargesheet,” said Iyer Mitra’s advocate Nikhil Meyer.

The High Court also allowed the lower court to set conditions of the bail granted to him, sources said.

The State Government had decided to withdraw all cases against him yesterday, 41 days after he was arrested on charges of hurting sentiments of people of the state. The decision came a day after Mitra’s letter requesting release from Jharpada jail was forwarded to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

“Taking into account his representation, the government has decided not to accord sanction of prosecution in cases where prosecution has been sought for and also decided to take steps to withdraw other cases pending against him by following laid-down procedures,” the Home Department said in a statement.

Worth mentioning, on September 16, Abhijit had posted a video on Twitter in which he was seen criticising the Konark temple. Later, he went on making alleged defamatory remarks against Odia culture and Odisha MLAs.

Following the incident, two separate cases were registered against him at Saheed Nagar and Konark police stations. The Twin City Commissionerate Police had arrested him on October 23 and produced him before the Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court in Bhubaneswar, which remanded him to judicial custody.

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