Journalist Arrest Sparks Controversy Over Historical Remarks

Journalist Prashant Koratkar was remanded in police custody in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, for allegedly making derogatory remarks about historic Maratha rulers. His arrest followed an audio conversation with historian Indrajeet Sawant that surfaced online, sparking public outrage. Koratkar's anticipatory bail plea was rejected.

In a significant legal development, journalist Prashant Koratkar has been placed in police custody by the sessions court in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. The court's decision, made on Tuesday, comes after Koratkar was accused of making derogatory statements about 17th-century Maratha figures, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son, Chhatrapati Sambhaji.

Koratkar, who hails from Nagpur, was taken into custody in Telangana on Monday. His arrest stems from a case registered on February 26 after an audio recording of a conversation between him and Kolhapur-based historian Indrajeet Sawant emerged. The audio clip, later circulated on social media, led to significant public uproar.

The First Information Report filed against Koratkar cites the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for allegedly inciting hatred among groups. Despite his anticipatory bail plea being rejected on March 18 by additional sessions judge D V Kashyap, Koratkar maintains that his phone was compromised and the audio doctored, and he has publicly apologized.

(With inputs from agencies.)