Mumbai, April 25 – The Bombay High Court on Friday ruled that the police investigation into stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra can continue over his alleged “traitor” remark against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. However, the court directed that Kamra should not be arrested during the pendency of the case.
A division bench comprising Justice Sarang Kotwal and Justice S M Modak accepted Kamra’s plea seeking the quashing of the FIR filed at Khar police station over remarks made during a comedy performance in Mumbai. The court clarified that while detailed hearings on the plea would follow, Kamra would be protected from arrest in the interim.
As per agency report, the bench stated that if the police wished to record Kamra’s statement, they should do so in Chennai, where the comedian currently resides, and only after giving prior notice. Kamra had expressed reluctance to travel to Maharashtra due to threats he received after the FIR was registered.
The court further ordered that if the police decide to file a chargesheet while the petition remains pending, the trial court should not take further action on it until the high court’s decision.
Kamra’s legal team had requested protection from any coercive action, including arrest, seizure of electronic devices, and investigation into his financial transactions. Kamra also offered to cooperate with the investigation via video conferencing, citing ongoing threats to his safety.
The FIR was registered after Kamra allegedly referred to Shinde as a "traitor" during a comedy show in Mumbai. The remarks, delivered as part of a parody of a song from the Bollywood film Dil To Pagal Hai, referenced Shinde’s 2022 political rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray, which led to the split of the Shiv Sena party.
Following the controversy, workers from Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction allegedly vandalized the studio where the show had been recorded.
The high court’s order provides Kamra with temporary relief while allowing the investigation to proceed, balancing both the comedian’s concerns and the state’s interest in probing the matter.
