High Court Grants Interim Relief to Comedian Kunal Kamra Amidst Ongoing Investigation

The Bombay High Court allowed police to continue their investigation against comedian Kunal Kamra over his remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, but prohibited his arrest. Kamra is seeking to quash an FIR over alleged defamatory comments. The court provided interim relief, including protection from arrest.

The Bombay High Court on Friday ruled that police may continue their investigation against comedian Kunal Kamra regarding his remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, but affirmed that Kamra shall not be arrested during the process. The case stems from an FIR registered at Khar police station, accusing Kamra of defamatory remarks made during a stand-up act.

A bench composed of Justices Sarang Kotwal and S M Modak agreed to hear Kamra's petition to quash the FIR. As an interim measure, the court barred the arrest of Kamra while the petition is pending. This decision offers significant relief to Kamra, who has expressed concerns about potential coercive action, including arrest and the seizure of his electronic devices.

Having agreed to cooperate with police inquiries via video-conferencing, Kamra remains in Chennai due to death threats he received after the show's remarks. The FIR charges relate to a parody song where Kamra referred to Shinde as 'gaddar' or traitor, a move that led to vandalism of the recording studio by Shinde's party workers, Shiv Sena.

(With inputs from agencies.)