Three more FIRs filed against Kunal Kamra over Shinde jibe

Latest FIRs merged with Mumbai case; complainants say the comedian allegedly created hatred between political parties by making ‘objectionable’ remarks against Eknath Shinde

Mumbai: In fresh trouble for controversial comedian Kunal Kamra, three additional FIRs filed against him in different cities have been merged with the one registered in Mumbai’s Khar police station over his alleged jibe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The stand-up comedian courted controversy for cracking an allegedly objectionable joke during a show last month, using the term “gaddar” (traitor) to make a veiled reference to Shinde.

---

The three zero FIRs that have been merged with the main case registered in Khar were filed in Thane, Nashik and Buldhana by Shiv Sena workers. The three FIRs were filed by Sunil Jadhav from Nandgaon Manmad, Nashik; Sanjay Bhujbal from Jalgaon Jamod, Buldhana and Mayur Borse from Manmad, Nashik.

The complainants in the three FIRs said that the comedian allegedly created hatred between political parties by making “objectionable” remarks against Shinde. They also alleged that Kamra’s remarks defamed Shinde’s “conduct”.

The three FIRs were registered under penal provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita dealing with defamation and public mischief. Kamra, who has been granted protection against arrest till April 7 by the Madras High Court, has been summoned by Khar police for recording his statement on Monday — this will be the third police attempt to call him as he has not responded to two earlier requests.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 9 (Mumbai), Dixit Gedam said two offences have been registered at Khar police station. One is against Kamra for derogatory comments, while the other is against people who vandalised the Unicontinental hotel in Khar where the shoot of his stand-up comedy act titled ‘Naya Bharat’ took place. Kamra landed in trouble after giving a comic spin-off to a popular Hindi song in which he indirectly described Shinde as a ‘traitor’, referring to the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis which eventually led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led State government.

The controversy snowballed after Kamra uploaded a clip from the show on social media last Saturday. Angry Shiv Sainiks vandalised the hotel, resulting in the arrest and the subsequent granting of bail to 12 Shinde supporters.