Comedian Kunal Kamra gets relief from Madras High Court in defamation case

The Madras High Court has provided big relief to comedian actor Kunal Kamra. The high court has extended Kamra's interim bail until April 27. Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde has been booked on a case for his controversial statements. Previously, Kunal Kamra has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court to cancel the FIR filed in the case of calling Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde a "traitor".

Kamra's fundamental rights have been invaded through this FIR

Kamra asserted the complaints against him infringed his fundamental rights under the Constitution, right to freedom of expression, vocation and right to life and liberty. Since the FIR, the issue is no longer a joke or stand-up routine, but a serious question is arising regarding the limits of expression in the nation. On Monday, senior advocates Navroz Sarvai and Ashwin Thul moved a petition in the Bombay High Court on behalf of comedian Kunal Kamra. The petition has been ordered to be listed before Modak's bench for an early hearing. The petition mentions that Kamra's fundamental rights have been invaded through this FIR.

What was on the show?

Kamra warped a song from the movie "Dil To Pagal Hai" in his programme 'Naya Bharat' and referred to Eknath Shinde as a "traitor" in it. He then posted the video on YouTube too. Shiv Sena (Shinde group) MLA Murji Patel protested against this and filed a complaint with the police.

Police summons disregarded

The Mumbai Police called Kamra three times for interrogation, but he never turned up even once. She, meanwhile, is in Tamil Nadu, where she has also posted the activity on her social media account.

Interim anticipatory bail has already been granted

In March, Kamra had secured anticipatory bail from the Madras High Court in the case. He informed the court that he is a permanent resident of Tamil Nadu and has been staying there at the moment. Even so, he has now approached the Bombay High Court in the matter of the FIR so that the issue can be brought to a complete close.

Under what sections was the case registered?

On the complaint made by the Shiv Sena MLA, a case has been filed against Kunal Kamra under Section 353(1)(b) (statements incitement to public nuisance) and Section 356(2) (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code (BNS). "It was a satirical presentation, not a personal attack. If it's a crime to criticise politicians, then the right to freedom of expression and comedy will end in the country. Now it's up to the High Court whether the FIR can be quashed or not. This case raised this question once again. Is there a need for a limit to satire and political criticism in India?