Chennai: On a day the Supreme Court passed an important verdict, protecting the right to freedom of speech, standup comedian Kunal Kamra moved the Madras High Court, seeking transit anticipatory bail. Kamra, who now lives in Tamil Nadu, has been summoned by the Khar police station in Mumbai with regards to an FIR lodged against him for veiled comments against Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde.
Kamra is expected to visit the Khar police station on March 31. In his petition to the High Court, the performer submitted that he fears arrest on the way to Mumbai, hence the need for transit anticipatory bail. His counsel V Suresh, mentioned the matter for urgent hearing before Justice Sundar Mohan. It is likely to be heard later in the day.
During a show recorded at a studio-cum-club at Khar, Kamra had used a song from the Hindi film ‘Dil To Paagal Hai’ to accuse a certain politician of treachery. The description matched Shinde and his supporters went on a rampage, vandalising the studio-cum-club. The next morning, the club management announced its temporary closure. A few hours later, the BMC demolished portions of the property that were illegal.
In his petition, Kamra has claimed that he is innocent of the charges levelled against him and the frivolous complaint was lodged to harass, intimidate and censor an artist for merely exercising his right to freedom of speech. He has also submitted that he fears for his life and the well-being of his family as he has been receiving threats.
While a section of Shiv Sena leaders did threaten to ‘chase him across the country’ to thrash him, Shinde had just said that there needs to be a limit to what a person can say in the name of freedom of speech. “This is like taking ‘supari’ to speak against someone,” he had said.
It has been mentioned in the petition that Kamra is not a flight risk and will cooperate with the investigation.
