Special Correspondent
Mumbai: Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has approached the Bombay High Court seeking the quashing of an FIR filed against him by the Mumbai Police. Along with the petition, he has also sent a letter to the police requesting that his statement be recorded through video conferencing instead of appearing in person.
The FIR was filed after Kamra performed a satirical song targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Following this, leaders of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) strongly opposed Kamra’s act, warning him of a “Shiv Sena-style welcome” if he visited Mumbai. In light of this, Kamra has sought to avoid a personal appearance.
Earlier, Kamra had filed a similar petition in the Madras High Court, where he was granted anticipatory bail and protection from arrest until April 7. As this deadline nears, Kamra has reiterated his request to the Mumbai Police for a virtual statement.
In his Bombay High Court petition, Kamra argues that the FIR violates his fundamental rights under Article 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech and expression), Article 19(1)(g) (right to practice any profession), and Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty) of the Constitution.
Despite being issued three summons by the Mumbai Police, Kamra has not appeared for questioning. Police also visited his Mumbai residence, but Kamra later shared a pointed post stating, “Visiting an address I haven’t lived at in 10 years is a waste of your time and public resources.”
The FIR was filed by Khar Police on March 24 based on a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel. According to the complaint, Kamra insulted Shinde by calling him a “traitor” during a performance of the satirical song. Sources say Kamra has told police he is willing to cooperate with the investigation, but he maintains that he is currently not in Mumbai and refuses to apologize for his statements.
