The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said the Maharashtra government has not taken vindictive action against any person for re-sharing or re-uploading stand-up comic Kunal Kamra's video in which he indirectly passed a "traitor" jibe at Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice M S Karnik made the observation while refusing to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a 25-year-old law student questioning the government's action against Kamra and also the Mumbai hotel where the controversial comedy show was shot. The court also noted the aggrieved person (Kamra) has already filed a petition in the HC seeking to quash the FIR lodged against him at a Mumbai police station over his critical comments against Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena. "The person aggrieved is before this court. He is not poor or illiterate. Why are you (present PIL petitioner) fighting his cause? He has taken action for relief," the HC observed. The PIL,
Bombay High Court has granted comedian Kunal Kamra protection till April 17. The next hearing will take place on April 16
BookMyShow, run by Bigtree Entertainment Private Limited, took down Kamra's content after a controversy over his parody song mocking Maharashtra Deputy CM and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde
This comes soon after Kamra moved the Bombay High Court seeking the quashing of the FIR
The development comes shortly after Kamra failed to appear before Mumbai Police despite being summoned thrice in the same case
The allocated Plot C-82 in G Block, BKC, has a total area of 5,500 square metres and a built-up area of 22,000 square metres, with a permissible floor space index (FSI) of 4.00
Shiv Sena functionary Rahool Kanal on Saturday claimed BookMyShow has taken stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra off the sale and artists list from its platforms. Kanal, the social media in-charge of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, thanked BookMyShoew CEO Ashish Hemrajani for keeping its portal "clean and keeping such artist out of the list of pure entertainment". When contacted, BookMyShow team said they have no comments to offer as of now. "I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for your continued support of you team to take the said artist out of your sale and promotion listing, thank you for even taking him out of the book my show search history. Your belief in maintaining peace and at the same time respecting our emotions has been instrumental," Kanal stated in a letter to Hemrajani. He said Mumbaikars love and believe in every form of art but not personal agendas. "Your personal touch and guidance by your team were invaluable in navigating and reaching a solution. "We deeply va
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra failed to appear before the Mumbai police on Saturday in connection with a case registered against him for allegedly passing a "traitor" jibe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, an official said. This is the third time Kamra has given police summons a miss, the official said. The Khar police booked Kamra on a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel for allegedly making defamatory remarks against the deputy chief minister during a show. Kamra shot a video lampooning Shinde over the split in the Shiv Sena, and party workers later ransacked the studio and the hotel in which it is located on the night of March 23. The official said the Mumbai police asked Kamra to appear before it on April 5, issuing summons to him for the third time. Earlier this week, a team from the Khar police visited his residence in Mahim after he skipped the second summons. The Madras High Court has granted interim anticipatory bail to Kamra till April 7. He is a ..
A banker from Navi Mumbai was on a trip to Tamil Nadu and Kerala but had to return early after Mumbai Police summoned him for questioning in a defamation case against Kunal Kamra
Police on Tuesday issued a third summons to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra and asked him to appear before them on April 5 in a case filed for allegedly making derogatory remarks on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at a show in Mumbai, officials said. Kamra (36) has been asked to appear before officials of the Khar Police Station in suburban Mumbai where the first FIR against him was registered last month, they said. The 36-year-old comedian was earlier summoned two times by the police, but he failed to appear before them and joined the investigation. The case stems from caustic remarks Kamra made against Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, at a show organised at a studio in the metropolis. Angered by the comments, workers of the Shiv Sena vandalised the studio late last month. The police have filed the case against Kamra under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to defamation and public mischief. The case was filed after the comedian last month posted a
Kunal Kamra's latest Instagram post accuses the government of systematically silencing artists, sharing a detailed 'playbook' on how dissenting voices are suppressed
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi questions Maharashtra government's reaction to Kunal Kamra's remarks, saying the comedian never named Shinde. Owaisi says selective application of law is the real betrayal
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday demanded Central protection for comedian Kunal Kamra, facing flak and investigation over his jibe against Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, on the similar lines it had protected actor Kangana Ranaut in 2020. Multiple FIRs were registered against Kamra for his "traitor" jibe at Shiv Sena head and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde during a show, leading to the ransacking of a studio by Shiv Sena workers last Sunday. On Friday, the Madras High Court granted interim anticipatory bail to Kamra, against whom Mumbai Police had issued two notices seeking his personal appearance for questioning. Raut also welcomed the Supreme Court order on quashing an FIR against Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi for allegedly posting a clip of a poem advocating the protection of freedom of speech and expression. He said like Pratapgarhi, Kamra is also an artist, poet, and satirist. "Kamra should come to Mumbai to put forth his point (before the police). The Centre protecte
Three more FIRs have been filed against Kunal Kamra in Maharashtra over his remarks on Eknath Shinde, adding to the ongoing legal proceedings against the stand-up comedian
Kunal Kamra had approached the Madras High Court to seek transit anticipatory bail, claiming he has been receiving many threats following his recent satirical comments
The development comes after the Mumbai Police asked comic Kunal Kamra to appear before it on March 31 in connection with the case
Kunal Kamra-Eknath Shinde row: Shiv Sena youth leader Rahool Kanal defends vandalism, says studio owner misbehaved with Shinde Sena workers
The Maharashtra legislative council has admitted a breach of privilege notice against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra for allegedly insulting Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a recent performance. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare has also been named in the notice. Maharashtra legislative council chairman Ram Shinde told PTI on Thursday he has accepted a privilege notice against Kunal Kamra over the 'traitor' jibe and had forwarded it to the Privileges Committee. The controversy stems from Kamra's recent show at the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, where he performed a parody song targeting Eknath Shinde. The act prompted a backlash from Shiv Sena supporters, who vandalised the club and the hotel in which it is located on Sunday night. "I have accepted the notice of breach of privilege against Kunal Kamra and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare and have sent it to Privilege Committee chairman Prasad Lad. The future course of action regarding the motion will be decided by
In a social media post, Kunal Kamra defended his work as legally protected under fair use, emphasising that parody and satire should not be silenced
Citing Prime Minister Modi's comment that "criticism is the soul of democracy", the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday questioned the "extreme response" provoked by comedian Kunal Kamra's jokes targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. An editorial in the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana' said Kamra's parody song had merely pointed to the rebellion led by Shinde against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership in 2022 and that it was an "old wine in a new bottle", yet the deputy CM's supporters vandalised a studio in Mumbai on Sunday. Notably, the rebellion had led to a split in the Shiv Sena and collapse of the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state in 2022. Shinde then joined hands with the BJP and formed government. The editorial in Saamana said 40 MLAs in Maharashtra had defected, leading to the formation of an "extra-constitutional" government. The episode was widely publicised, culminating in a legal battle in the Supreme Court, it pointed out. "Slogans about .