THANE- A non-cognisable offence has been registered against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra after a complaint was filed at Wagle Police Station in Thane, the bastion of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. According to police sources, the complaint claims that Kamra performed a song with satire about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Yuva Sena member Rupesh Mishra had filed the complaint. Shiv Sena activists on Sunday night vandalised the Mumbai studio where the comedian’s show was recorded. Thereafter police registered non non-cognisable offence. Police have already booked Kamra under section 356(2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The Mumbai Police had served two summons to Kamra, who has not yet appeared to give his statement. On Monday, Shiv Sena legislator Mangesh Kudalkar filed a complaint at the Kurla Nehrunagar police station against Kamra after he referred to Deputy Chief Minister Shinde as a traitor.
Kudalkar has urged the police to register an offence against Kamra, who told the police that he will fully cooperate with them in the investigation but won’t apologise. On Monday, the MIDC police station registered a Zero FIR against Kamra for cracking an allegedly objectionable joke during a stand-up comedy show.
The Khar Police booked Yuva Sena general secretary Rahool Kanal under various sections of the BNS and the Maharashtra Police Act. They also detained 20 Sena activists.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 9, Dixit Gedam said two offences have been registered at Khar police station. One is against Kamra for comments, while the other is against people who vandalised the Unicontinental hotel where the shoot of Kamra’s comedy show took place. He further added that the investigation is underway.
Shiv Sena has condemned the “distasteful and defamatory” remarks made by Kunal Kamra during his recent performance at the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai.
“His deliberate attempt to mock Deputy Chief Minister Shinde and twist the state’s political reality into a tool for his propaganda is nothing short of an orchestrated attack against the leadership. He has once again misused the fundamental right to free speech, using comedy as a cover to malign individuals and spread politically motivated misinformation,” Shiv Sena said in a statement.
The Shiv Sena said that it will not tolerate any attempts to insult or malign the leadership that is working tirelessly for the people of Maharashtra.
“We demand that Kunal Kamra issue an unconditional apology for his remarks against Eknath Shinde and cease using comedy as a weapon to spread hatred and misinformation,” it said. -IANS
