THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Mumbai, April 25: The Bombay High Court on Friday granted comedian Kunal Kamra protection from arrest in a case linked to his controversial “gaddar” remark aimed at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during his stand-up show Naya Bharat.
While allowing the investigation to continue, the bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and S.M. Modak directed that if the Mumbai Police wish to interrogate Kamra, it must be done in Chennai, where he currently resides.
The court also ordered that if a chargesheet is filed while Kamra’s petition is pending, the trial court must not proceed with it.
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On April 16, the Bombay High Court had reserved its order in the matter while granting Kamra interim protection from arrest.
Kamra had approached the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the FIR filed against him over his satirical performance in Mumbai, where he sang a parody of the Bollywood song Bholi Si Surat, allegedly targeting Shinde.
His counsel argued that due to safety concerns, Kamra had offered to record his statement via video conferencing, but the authorities demanded his physical presence.
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The comedian had earlier secured interim protection and transit anticipatory bail from the Madras High Court following threats he received after the performance.
Despite multiple FIRs and political backlash, Kamra has refused to apologise but maintained that he will cooperate with the police.
