The Supreme Court on Thursday denied a plea for anticipatory bail made by commentator Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, days after his derogatory tweets on Odisha’s Konark temple and Odia culture triggered a storm of protests in the State Assembly and outside.
A three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, said this was not a case for granting bail. “You are inciting religious feelings. How are you entitled to bail?” the Chief Justice asked counsel for Mr. Mitra.
Counsel said his client was facing threats to his life. “If you are facing threats, there is no better place than a jail,” Chief Justice Gogoi responded.
Mr. Mitra is accused of deliberately attempting to outrage religious feelings, promoting enmity on the grounds of religion and offences under the Information Technology Act.
Mr. Mitra was arrested on September 20 by the Odisha police in the national capital.
The Odisha Assembly had adopted a privilege motion on September 20 against the journalist for his alleged derogatory remarks.
(With inputs from PTI)