The Bombay High Court has granted stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra protection from arrest in connection with a First Information Report (FIR) filed over a satirical video and remarks allegedly targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The court directed Mumbai Police not to arrest Kamra but allowed the investigation to continue. The bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Shriram Modak instructed the police to coordinate with local authorities near Kamra’s residence in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, if they wish to record his statement.
Kamra had earlier received interim anticipatory bail, which was extended until April 17. The FIR was filed by Shiv Sena MLA Muraji Patel under Sections 353(1)(b), 353(2) (public mischief), and 356(2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and later transferred to the Khar police station in Mumbai. Though Kamra did not mention Eknath Shinde by name, Shiv Sena supporters alleged he referred to Shinde as a “traitor” in the context of the party’s internal split.
Following Kamra’s performance, agitated Shiv Sena members vandalised the Habitat studio in Mumbai where the show took place. Twelve individuals were arrested for the violence and later released on bail. Kamra has claimed he has been receiving death threats since the incident, as tensions between him and the party’s supporters escalate over the controversial performance.