Kunal Kamra citing death threats from Shiv Sena seeks time to appear before police

Mumbai: Mumbai police issued a summons on Monday to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra for questioning in connection with a case filed against him over satirical lyrics about Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde during a recent show in Mumbai.

The summons also sent to Kamra via WhatsApp asked him to appear at the Khar police station by 11 am on Tuesday.

However, Kamra, who currently lives in Pondicherry, refused to attend the questioning immediately, citing threats to his life from Shiv Sena workers. He has reportedly requested a week's time to appear before the police.

The comedian has been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 353(1)(b) and 353(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356(2) (defamation).

The MIDC Police Station initially filed the First Information Report (FIR) as a Zero FIR following a complaint from Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel, before being transferred to the Khar Police Station, TNIE reported.

Maharashtra state home minister Yogesh

Mumbai police are probing whether Kamra received any financial or other incentives to mock Eknath Shinde. Authorities are looking into whether he was paid to target the deputy CM.

Yogesh Kadam, Maharashtra's state home minister, stated that the investigation would include reviewing Kamra's phone records and other electronic devices.

The controversy began after a video from Kamra’s show in Mumbai's Khar area was uploaded on YouTube. The video, filmed at Habitat Studio in ‘The UniContinental’ hotel, showed Kamra performing a parody of the song "Bholi Si Surat" from the 1997 film Dil To Pagal Hai. In the song, he referred to Shinde as a ‘gaddar’ (traitor), referencing his 2022 rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray that led to the collapse of Thackeray’s government and the division of the Shiv Sena.

After the video was released, Shiv Sena workers vandalized the venue and called for its permanent closure. Eleven individuals were arrested in connection with the incident but were later granted bail. Additionally, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished part of the club following the controversy, according to TNIE.

Kamra issued a statement on Monday night, declaring that he would not apologize for his comments. He also defended the venue, explaining that neither the organizers nor any political party was responsible for the content of his show.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut expressed his support for Kamra, suggesting that the comedian had not made any new statements. Raut, who claimed to personally know Kamra and had attended his show, argued that if Kamra had broken the law, action should be taken, but emphasized that he had not done anything wrong. He questioned why Shinde and his supporters were upset, stating that Kamra had only reiterated the truth and facts