Shivaji remark row: Journalist Koratkar in 3-day police custody

Kolhapur, Mar 25 (PTI) The sessions court at Kolhapur in Maharashtra on Tuesday remanded journalist Prashant Koratkar in police custody till March 28 in a case where he is accused of making derogatory remarks about 17th century Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son Chhatrapati Sambhaji.

Koratkar, a resident of Nagpur, was arrested from Telangana on Monday 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.

The First Information Report was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for allegedly promoting hatred or enmity among groups.

Sawant had posted the audio recording on social media, resulting in widespread outrage.

On March 18, additional sessions judge D V Kashyap in Kolhapur rejected Koratkar's anticipatory bail plea.

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. PTI