New Delhi: Supreme Court on Thursday granted interim protection to journalist Abhijit Iyer Mitra, who made derogatory remarks on Konark Sun Temple, Odisha and its people, till October 5.
The Supreme Court’s direction came after Mitra’s lawyer moved the court after he failed to move the Orissa High Court. Abhijit Iyer could not approach the Orissa High Court due to the ongoing strike of the Bar Association.
The Saket Court in New Delhi had granted Iyer interim bail till September 28 post his arrest from the Hazrat Nizamuddin area in the national capital on September 20.
On September 15, Abhijit Iyre along with Baijayant Panda and senior journalist Aarti Tikoo visited Puri, Konark, Chilika and other places of the State in a helicopter owned by Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys (IMFA).
The chopper, in which the trio was travelling, was later seized by Odisha police for violating the ‘no-fly zone’ following a complaint lodged by Chilika Development Authority. IMFA is a company run by the former MP’s family.
On September 16, he had said, “Odisha was discovered by Bengali explorers, who called it “OriShala!!! And it was named Orissa”.
Abhijit was criticized from different walks of life in Odisha for his derogatory remarks. Even Odisha Assembly Speaker Pradip Amat formed a 6-member House Committee to investigate the issues.
Prasanta Patnaik