Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has taken legal action by approaching the Bombay High Court, seeking the quashing of an FIR lodged against him. The case stems from comments he made, allegedly calling Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde a “traitor” during a comedic performance.
The FIR, registered after a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel, accuses Kamra of creating public mischief and defamation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 353(1)(b) and 356(2). The plea to quash the FIR was filed through advocate Meenaz Kakalia and is scheduled for a hearing on April 21 before a bench led by Justice Sarang Kotwal.
Kamra’s petition asserts that the allegations infringe upon his fundamental rights, including freedom of speech and expression, the right to practice any profession, and the right to life and liberty as guaranteed under the Constitution of India.
This legal move follows Kamra’s receipt of interim transit anticipatory bail from the Madras High Court last month, reflecting his status as a permanent resident of Tamil Nadu. Despite this protective measure, he has not responded to three summonses from the Mumbai police for questioning.
The controversy ignited during a show where Kamra used a modified lyric from the Hindi movie “Dil To Pagal Hai” to indirectly label Shinde a “gaddar” (traitor), a reference to Shinde’s political maneuvering against Uddhav Thackeray.
