Madras HC grants Kunal Kamra interim anticipatory bail in Shinde case

The development comes after the Mumbai Police asked comic Kunal Kamra to appear before it on March 31 in connection with the case

The 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 alleged remarks against Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Live Law reported.

 

Kamra’s counsel mentioned the matter before Justice Sunder Mohan on Friday morning stating that the comic has been receiving death threats after the show. Kamra has approached the Madras High Court because he is the permanent resident of Villupuram town in Tamil Nadu.

 

While granting the bail, Justice Mohan said he is prima facie satisfied that Kamra is unable to approach the courts in Maharashtra for protection. The court was thus inclined to grant interim anticipatory bail, Live Law reported.

 

The development comes after the Mumbai police asked Kamra to appear before it on March 31 in connection with the case.

The story so far

 

Kamra released a stand-up video on March 23, titled ‘Naya Bharat’, in which he targeted former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde through a parody song for breaking the Shiv Sena and bringing down the government of Uddhav Thackeray. The song stirred a controversy and led to Shinde’s party workers reaching the venue of the stand-up and vandalising it.

 

On Monday, the city’s civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), demolished a part of the venue, citing alleged irregularities, where the stand-up video was recorded. Kamra also released a statement, saying he would not apologise for his remarks. 

 

A Zero FIR was also filed against the comic under Sections 353(1)(b), 353(2) [Public mischief] and 356(2) [Defamation] Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on the basis of a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Muraji Patel, reported Live Law.