Kunal Kamra. File pic
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Mumbai police and Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel in connection with a plea filed by comedian Kunal Kamra seeking to quash a First Information Report (FIR) lodged against him. The FIR, registered at the Khar police station, was filed following a complaint by Patel, who alleged that Kamra referred to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a "gaddar" (traitor) during a stand-up performance.
The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Justices Sarang Kotwal and S M Modak, who scheduled the next hearing for 16 April. As per PTI, Kamra has not responded in person to three summons issued by the police thus far.
The FIR against Kamra has been registered under sections 353(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356(2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. According to PTI, three other FIRs against the comedian - filed in Nashik Rural, Jalgaon, and Nandgaon (Nashik) - have now been consolidated and transferred to the Khar police station for further investigation.
Kamra's senior counsel, Navroz Seervai, informed the court that the Madras High Court had extended Kamra's interim transit anticipatory bail until 17 April. The advocate further noted that Kamra, who has been residing in Tamil Nadu since 2021, has on three occasions offered to join the investigation via video conference, citing threats to his safety if he were to appear in person.
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"It appears the police are more interested in compelling his physical presence than actually recording his statement," Seervai argued, emphasising that the case stems from a stand-up comedy act and not any serious crime. "This is not a case of murder," he added.
During the performance in question, Kamra made a satirical reference to the political split in the Shiv Sena party, notably Shinde's rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022. He incorporated a reworded Hindi film song to mock Shinde's political switch, though he did not mention the leader by name.
Kamra's plea, filed on 5 April, argues that the FIR constitutes a violation of his fundamental rights - specifically his freedom of speech and expression, the right to practise any profession, and the right to life and personal liberty, all enshrined under the Indian Constitution.
As per PTI, the petition claims that the stand-up act, written in July 2024 and performed around 60 times between August 2024 and February 2025, was only uploaded online in March 2025. It was only after this that the complaint was filed, leading to what Kamra alleges is a misuse of criminal law by a sitting MLA.
Kamra is also seeking protection from any coercive action, including arrest or the seizure of his personal electronic devices and financial records. "To allow this investigation to proceed would be a direct assault on the right to comment on political developments. Should a citizen's satirical take on political affairs be criminalised?" the plea contends.
The bench has stated it will deliberate on all aspects of the matter at the next hearing on 16 April.
(With inputs from PTI)
