• Source:JND
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The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted interim relief to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra till April 16 and issued notice to the Mumbai police and Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel on his plea challenging an FIR lodged against him for his "traitor" (gaddar) joke on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a show in Mumbai.

In his plea, Kamra sought the HC to protect him from any coercive action including arrest and demanded quashing of the FIR filed against him. Kamra's lawyer, Navroz Seervai, apprised the Bombay High Court that the Madras High Court on Monday extended the interim relief to the comedian till April 17.

The division bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and S M Modak said it would hear Kamra's petition on April 16. "Issue notice to the respondents (police and Patel). They shall take instructions and respond to the plea," the HC said.

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Kunal Kamra's counsel also presented before the judge that there was no serious offence like a murder registered against his client and he FIR has been filed over his stand-up comedy gig. He said that comedy shows are completely scripted, and his client is getting death threats, requesting the court to allow the comedian to appear through video conferencing.

"My client is facing death threat, he has approached police thrice (3 times) to record statements via video conference but they (police officials) are insisting on his physical presence. We request that Kamra appearing through video conference should be considered," he told the Court.

The comedian has failed to appear before the Mumbai police for questioning despite three summons issued to him. Following a complaint by Sena MLA Murji Patel, the Khar police in Mumbai last month registered the FIR against Kamra under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 353(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356(2) (defamation).

During the show, stand-up comedian Kamra had taunted Shinde, without taking his name, using a modified version of a Hindi song from the film "Dil To Pagal Hai" where he called him a "gaddar" (traitor). The comedian went on to joke about how Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership (in June 2022).

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Kamra said his remarks made regarding the split in the Shiv Sena, Shinde quitting Uddhav Thackeray's Sena faction and being sworn in as the chief minister at the time (in 2022) are all part of records.

 

(With Agencies Inputs)