Comedy or Crime? Unraveling the Kunal Kamra Controversy

The Bombay High Court reserved its order on Kunal Kamra's plea seeking to quash an FIR against him for allegedly defamatory remarks against Maharashtra's Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. Kamra was granted interim protection, as his lawyer argued for free expression amidst political controversies, highlighting selective enforcement.

The Bombay High Court has reserved its decision on comedian Kunal Kamra's petition to quash an FIR filed against him for alleged defamatory remarks about Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Kamra, who received interim protection, was accused of making a 'traitor' remark during a stand-up show.

The FIR was registered at the Khar police station following the incident. The controversy arose from Kamra's parody performance and comments about Shinde's political actions, which led to a split in the Shiv Sena party. Kamra's lawyer argued that such remarks were common in political discourse, yet only the comedian faced consequences.

Public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar defended the FIR, arguing the comments targeted Shinde and damaged his reputation. Kamra's legal team countered this, pointing to selective enforcement against the comedian while other political figures remained unscathed. The court has not announced when it will rule on the matter.

(With inputs from agencies.)