Delhi-based journalist Abhijit Iyer Mitra, who was arrested by the Saheed Nagar police and lodged in the Jharpada jail here since Tuesday night, will be taken on a four-day remand by the Konark police.
The Court of the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) here granted permission to the Konark police to take Mitra on four days’ remand though the latter had sought a seven-day remand.
Meanwhile, the Saheed Nagar police have asked the microblogging site Twitter to provide details of Mitra’s account, phone number and mail ID to know what all he posted and when. The Commissionerate police, in a letter to Twitter have sought the details of Mitra’s accounts and various posts.
Mitra was on Tuesday arrested for his alleged derogatory remarks against the Sun Temple, the Shreemandir and Odisha culture. The police arrested Mitra after hours of interrogation at an undisclosed location in the city.
The SDJM Court here on Tuesday turned down Mitra’s bail petition and remanded him to 14 days’ judicial custody.
Police Commissioner Satyajit Mohanty said Mitra was arrested in connection with a criminal case registered against him at the Saheed Nagar police station on September 20.
On the basis of a case (462/18), Mitra has been booked under IPC Sections 294, 295A, 153A, 500, 506 and Section 67 of the Information Technology (IT) Act.
Mitra also appeared before a House Committee of the Odisha Assembly Tuesday morning and tendered an unconditional apology for his derogatory remarks against Odisha’s MLAs.