Bhubaneswar, Sep 22 - Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Tuesday ordered an inquiry into the arrest of a journalist by police two days ago in Orissa's Gajapati district for his alleged links with Maoist rebels, a senior official here said.

Laxman Choudhuri, a reporter of Oriya daily 'Sambad', was arrested Sunday from Mohana area on the charge that a packet containing eight pieces of Maoist leaflets addressed to him were recovered from a bus conductor.

Police arrested Choudhuri and the conductor on the charges of waging war against the government, sedition, criminal conspiracy and assisting Maoist activities.

Chief Minister Patnaik has asked the local deputy inspector general of police to probe the arrest after a delegation led by senior journalist Prasant Patnaik met him at the state secretariat.

The delegation described the arrest as illegal, a senior official of the chief minister office told IANS.