New Delhi: Comedian Kunal Kamra – in the line of fire over a comedy show in which he touched upon layers of political corruption – has got anticipatory bail from the Madras high court.
This is an interim anticipatory bail, till April 7.
Kamra’s petition was in connection with the first information report lodged against him at Mumbai over comments he made on Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. Kamra has not mentioned Shinde by name in his piece. Shinde’s supporters have vandalised various locations including the Mumbai studio where Kamra’s comedy show was held, in retaliation. Meanwhile, Indian Express reports that on March 26, Pune police registered another FIR in connection with posters carrying a cartoon of Shinde on a bridge near Alka Talkies.
Bail
LiveLaw has reported that Kamra’s anticipatory bail is in connection with the Zero FIR that was lodged against Kamra under Sections 353(1)(b), 353(2) (public mischief) and 356(2) (defamation) BNS by Shiv Sena MLA Muraji Patel. The FIR was later transferred to Khar police station in Mumbai.
Kamra is a permanent resident of Villupuram town in Tamil Nadu, the report says. The Madras high court is thus the court under the jurisdiction of which Kamra’s residence falls.
An urgent mentioning of the case was made before Justice Sunder Mohan today (March 28).
In his order, Justice Mohan noted Kamra’s plea that he is facing life threats and is “unable to approach courts in Maharashtra …”
Cartoon
Pune police’s FIR over the cartoon was based on a complaint filed by Pune Municipal Corporation official Rajendra Kewate at the Vishrambag police station on March 26.
Along with a caricature of Shinde’s, the poster asked if the words “Thane, rickshaw, chasma, dadi, Guwahati, and gaddar” have been banned in the state. This is a reference to Kamra’s show and the reaction to it.
Indian Express has reported that the Pune unit of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) put up the poster.
The police have booked the unidentified accused under sections of the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, the report said.
This report, first published at 1.45 pm on March 28, was republished at 6 pm on the same day with updated information.
