Abhijit Iyer-Mitra released from jail after Orissa High Court grants him bail; scribe had been in judicial custody for 44 days

Bhubaneswar: Delhi-based journalist Abhijit Iyer-Mitra was Thursday released from the Odisha jail after he was granted bail by two courts in Konark and Bhubaneswar. The freedom for Abhijit came a day after the Orissa High Court granted him bail Wednesday. He was released from judicial custody after 44 days. [caption id=“attachment_5687591” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of journalist Abhijit Iyer-Mitra. ANI[/caption] Earlier on Thursday, Abhijit was granted conditional bail by the Court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) at Konark in Puri district and the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Bhubaneswar, in Khurda district. Both the courts granted bail to Abhijit with a personal bond of Rs 20,000 each and on condition that he would never resort to anti-Odisha remarks in the future. The Orissa High Court, while granting bail to the journalist on Monday, had ruled that the two lower courts can grant bail to him on conditions. Abhijit was arrested on 23 October on the basis of two FIRs filed against his name for allegedly passing derogatory remarks against Odisha, its people, Konark Temple and Lord Jagannath. Abhijit left for the Biju Patnaik International Airport from the Capital Hospital, where he was undergoing treatment since Sunday. The Odisha government on 4 December had accepted the appeal of Abhijit and decided not to accord sanction of his prosecution. He was admitted to the Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar on 2 December after he complained of acute stomach pain. Abhijit’s advocate Nikhil Mehera said that his client would proceed to Chennai to meet his mother.