Photo: TNM
The Madras High Court has granted interim anticipatory bail to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra until April 7 in relation to an FIR filed against him in Mumbai.
Justice Sunder Mohan issued the bail order after Kamra presented evidence that he was unable to approach courts in Maharashtra due to threats of physical violence from political party members. The court acknowledged these threats based on newspaper reports provided as proof.
The case involves alleged offensive comments made by Kamra about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in his recent special, Naya Bharat. The court has instructed Kamra to submit a bail bond to the jurisdictional magistrate.
Kunal Kamra approached the Madras High Court requesting transit anticipatory bail, which allows a person to apply for pre-arrest bail in their home state when an FIR is filed in another state. Kamra, a permanent resident of Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, argued that the Madras High Court had jurisdiction over the case, the News Minute reported.
The controversy arose from a parody song Kamra performed at Mumbai’s Habitat Comedy Club, which allegedly targeted Eknath Shinde. Although he did not directly name the Deputy CM, Shiv Sena workers accused Kamra of calling Shinde a ‘traitor’ due to his 2022 split from the Shiv Sena.
Shiv Sena workers vandalized the comedy club and the hotel where it was situated after the performance. Twelve individuals were arrested for the violence and later granted bail.
A Zero FIR was initially filed against Kamra under Sections 353(1)(b), 353(2) (public mischief), and 356(2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel. Later, the case was transferred to the Khar police station in Mumbai.
Having moved from Mumbai to Tamil Nadu in 2021, Kamra expressed concerns about being arrested by the Mumbai police and sought legal protection.