Odisha: Jailed journalist Abhijit Iyer admitted to hospital

Delhi-based journalist Abhijit Iyer-Mitra who was arrested for his alleged anti-Odisha remarks and has been under judicial custody in Jharpada jail for more than two month was admitted to Capital Hospital after he complained of being sick.

According to police, he was under severe mental trauma and was ailing since Friday. He has been placed under treatment at the surgery ward of Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar .

A senior police officer told local media that Abhijit was earlier taken for a medical check-up and put back in the jail later. However, his condition worsened on Friday night and he subsequently was admitted to the hospital.

Abhijit Iyer-Mitra was first arrested in September for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the state, the Konark temple and Lord Jagannath and thus hurting religious sentiments of people of Odisha.

A Delhi court had granted him bail instructing him to join the police investigation but he did not, alleging a threat to his life. Abhijit then moved the Supreme Court requesting for protection from arrest but the apex court too refused to grant him bail on October 4.

The Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police arrested him on October 24, in connection with a criminal case filed for his tweets in 2017.

However, the Odisha assembly had accepted the recommendations of a House Committee recently for considering an apology from Abhijit Iyer-Mitra. But he was not released from jail.