Kunal Kamra's plea has claimed the complaints against him were violative of his fundamental rights of freedom of speech and expression, right to practice any profession and business and right to life and liberty guaranteed under the Constitution of India
Kunal Kamra. Pic/X
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has approached the Bombay High Court, seeking to quash an FIR lodged against him by the city police for allegedly passing a "traitor" jibe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, reported news agency PTI.
Kamra moved the Bombay High Court on April 5.
His plea has claimed the complaints against him were violative of his fundamental rights of freedom of speech and expression, right to practice any profession and business and right to life and liberty guaranteed under the Constitution of India.
The plea, filed through advocate Meenaz Kakalia, is likely to come up for hearing before a bench headed by Justice Sarang Kotwal on April 21, reported PTI.
Kamra last month got interim transit anticipatory bail from the Madras High Court in the case against him. He is a permanent resident of Tamil Nadu.
The comedian has failed to appear before the Mumbai police for questioning despite three summons issued to him.
During a show, Kamra had taunted Shinde, without taking his name, using a modified version of a Hindi song from the film "Dil To Pagal Hai" where he called him a "gaddar" (traitor), reported PTI.
The comedian went on to joke about how Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray.
Following a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel, the police here registered the FIR against Kamra under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 353(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356(2) (defamation).
Kamra fails to appear before Mumbai police; skips third summons
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 a summons to him for the third time.
Last week, a team from the Khar police visited his residence in Mahim after he skipped the second summons.
(With inputs from PTI)
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