Kunal Kamra gets pre-arrest bail till April 7 from Madras HC over Eknath Shinde 'gaddar' joke row
The Madras High Court has granted interim anticipatory bail to Kunal Kamra in connection with the FIR lodged against him in Mumbai over his alleged remarks against Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde.
FollowThe Madras High Court on Friday granted interim anticipatory bail to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra in connection with the FIR lodged against him in Mumbai over his remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Though the FIR is lodged in Mumbais's Khar police station, Kamra being a resident of Tamil Nadu had approached the High Court. His counsel V Suresh pressed for urgent relief citing multiple death threats Kamra received, after airing of his new stand-up video 'Naya Bharat'.
Justice Sunder Mohan said he is prima facie satisfied that Kamra is unable to approach the courts in Maharashtra for protection, Live Law reported.
Kunal Kamra had approached the Madras High Court seeking transit anticipatory bail fearing arrest over remarks allegedly targeting Eknath Shinde during his show. The comic challenged the FIR against him, calling it a “frivolous complaint” designed to “harass, intimidate, and censor an artist” for exercising his constitutional right to free speech.
Kamra is a permanent resident of Villupuram town in Tamilnadu and claimed that Madras High Court has jurisdiction in the matter. The plea was taken up after an urgent mentioning in the morning.
He claimed he has received serious threats to his life and his loved ones, making it unsafe for him to travel to Mumbai on March 31.
The Mumbai Police's Khar station had earlier summoned Kamra to appear for questioning on March 25, but he had requested a week’s extension.
Kunal Kamra vs Shinde Sena
The FIR against Kamra stems from a parody performance where he allegedly altered lyrics from a popular 1997 Bollywood song to make jabs at Shinde and the 2022 Shiv Sena-NCP split. The FIR, however, does not explicitly outline how his statements constitute public mischief or defamation, Kamra’s petition argues.
Shinde, reacting to the controversy, stated, “Freedom of speech is there. We understand satire. But there should be a limit. This is like taking ‘supari’ (contract) to speak against someone.”
Kamra, in his plea, insists that the song in question “does not name anyone” and that the FIR is “politically motivated”. He pointed out that on March 23, Shiv Sena workers vandalized the alleged venue of his show, and later that night, a complaint was filed against him accusing him of making “slanderous remarks” and “fostering animosity between rival political factions”.
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