Kasaragod: Award-winning Malayalam writer Santhosh Echikkanam was arrested and produced before Kasaragod district magistrate on Saturday, allegedly over his remarks on backward castes during a book festival held in Kozhikode on February 9, 2018.

Hosdurg police had earlier registered a case against Echikkanam on the complaint of one Balakrishnan that the remarks were derogatory.

Though the writer had approached the Kerala High Court for anticipatory bail, the court directed that the he could present himself before the investigating officer and the lower court can decide on the bail. Crime detachment DySP M Pradeep Kumar, who is also in charge of Kasaragod SMS DySP, arrested Echikkanam under the SC/ST Act.

Echikkanam won Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 2008 for his short story collection 'Komala'. Recently, his story 'Biriyani', had won applause. He has also written scripts for films such as Annayum Rasoolum, Idukki Gold, Chandrettan Evideya and Njan Steve Lopez.