Bhubaneswar: The Twin City Commissionerate Police today arrested Rocky Ranjan Bishoyi, owner of 'Rocky Tattooz' tattoo shop in Bhubaneswar, in connection with the objectionable tattoo of Lord Jagannath on the thigh of a foreign woman.

On the basis of a complaint filed by the Hindu Sena organisation, the Saheed Nagar police registered a case under Section 299 of the BNS (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and arrested Rocky.

The cops have also arrested tattoo artist Ashwini Kumar Pradhan in connection with the case. 

The tattoo has triggered widespread outrage in Odisha. The incident, which took place at a tattoo shop, has led to protests by devotees and religious organisations, as they alleged that the matter hurt religious sentiments.

Following the controversy, Rocky and the foreign woman issued public apologies by releasing videos on social media.

"A foreign woman approached an artist at my tattoo shop requesting a tattoo of Lord Jagannath on her thigh. Our staff advised her against it and suggested placing it on her hand instead. However, she insisted on getting it on her thigh. I sincerely apologise for this incident. I was not present at the shop at that time. The tattoo artist will either cover up or remove the tattoo after about 25 days, as removing it now could cause infection. The woman has assured us that she will visit our shop for its removal or covering up," said Rocky.

The foreign woman also apologised, saying, "I never intended to be disrespectful. I am a devotee of Lord Jagannath. I made a mistake, and I deeply regret it. Once the tattooed area heals, I will cover it up. Please forgive me."

A photo of the woman displaying the tattoo was initially posted on the Instagram account of the tattoo shop. As the photo went viral and drew sharp criticism, the pic was later deleted.