Stand-up performer Kunal Kamra has approached the Bombay High Court, seeking the quashing of an FIR filed against him by the Mumbai Police in connection with the “gaddar" joke on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a show.
According to the High Court’s website, the plea was filed on April 5, and the matter is listed for hearing before a bench of Justice Sarang Kotwal and Justice Shriram Modak on April 21.
In his plea, Kamra claimed that the police action against him violated his fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constitution under Articles 19 (1) (a) (right to freedom of speech and expression), 19 (1) (g) (right to practice any profession and business) and 21 (right to life and personal liberty).
His latest move comes as he skipped the third summons by the Mumbai Police on April 5. He skipped the first two summons as well and did not appear on the third one too and instead urged the police to record his statements via video conferencing.
Based on the complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel, Kamra was booked on March 24.
The Shiv Sena leader alleged in the complaint that during the show at Habita Studio in the Unicontinental Hotel in Mumbai’s Khar, Kamra defamed Shinde by making derogatory remarks against him.
In March, the Madras High Court granted an interim anticipatory bail to Kamra till April 7 in connection with the FIR filed in Mumbai.
Kamra went to the Madras High Court, saying he is a permanent resident of Tamil Nadu and is afraid he could be arrested or harmed if he travels to Maharashtra.
Earlier, in a statement on social media, Kamra refused to apologise to Shinde.
“I will not apologise. I don’t fear this mob and I will not be hiding under my bed, waiting for this to die down," he said.
“I am willing to cooperate with the police and courts for any lawful action taken against me. But will the law be fairly and equally deployed against those who have decided that vandalism is the appropriate response to being offended by a joke?" Kamra had added.
Source: news18
