Journalist Koratkar in custody for remarks on Shivaji

A journalist named Prashant Koratkar has been placed in police custody for three days. He was arrested after being accused of making derogatory comments about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son, Chhatrapati Sambhaji. The arrest took place on Monday in Telangana. The case against Koratkar began on February 25, based on an audio conversation he had with historian Indrajeet Sawant. The Kolhapur Sessions Court ordered Koratkar’s custody until March 28. The police argued that they needed more time to investigate the serious nature of the allegations. In court, Koratkar's lawyer claimed that the police did not need to keep him in custody since the audio recording had already gone viral online. The charges against him are based on the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which addresses promoting hatred among groups. Earlier this month, a local judge denied Koratkar’s request for anticipatory bail, stating there was not enough evidence to support his claim that the audio was manipulated. Koratkar has also issued a public apology related to the comments. Authorities have also contacted Koratkar's driver, Pratish Padwekar, asking him to participate in the investigation. Padwekar is expected to appear at the police station on Wednesday.