Pune, A sessions court in Kolhapur has remanded former journalist Prashant Koratkar in 14-day judicial custody in a case where he is accused of using offensive language against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son Chhatrapati Sambhaji.
Koratkar, a resident of Nagpur, was arrested on March 24.
He was produced before the court through video conferencing on Sunday at the end of his police custody.
As the police did not press for his further custody, the court remanded Koratkar in judicial custody for 14 days.
He will be lodged at a separate cell in Kolhapur’s Kalamba jail for safety reasons, a police official said.
Authorities had also decided to produce Koratkar before the court via video-conferencing for safety reasons, as attempts were earlier made to heckle him while he was being escorted from the court complex on March 24.
Also, a lawyer hurled abuses at him on March 28, though there was no physical assault, according to police.
Koratkar was arrested from Telangana on March 24 after a case was registered against him on February 26 on the basis of an audio conversation between him and Kolhapur-based historian Indrajeet Sawant.
Koratkar allegedly made objectionable comments during the conversation, which Sawant posted on social media, resulting in widespread outrage and calls for his arrest. The First Information Report was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for allegedly promoting hatred or enmity among groups.
Earlier, an additional sessions judge granted him protection from arrest till March 1, following which the Kolhapur police approached the Bombay High Court seeking cancellation of this interim protection.
The HC then asked the Kolhapur sessions court to hear the matter. On March 18, the additional sessions judge in Kolhapur rejected Koratkar’s anticipatory bail plea, paving the way for his arrest. Koratkar had claimed in the plea that his phone was compromised and the audio was doctored. He also mentioned that he had issued a public apology.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.