Kunal Kamra moves Madras high court seeking transit anticipatory bail after FIRs over ‘traitor’ joke

Kunal Kamra row: Stand-up comic Kunal Kamra has approached the Madras heights margaret court, seeking pass over prevenient bail after multiple FIRs were lodged against him for his alleged remarks on Maharashtra deputy chief minister.Kunal Kamra, known for his satirical comedy and outspoken views, has been facing legal trouble following complaints accusing him of making derogatory comments. The FIRs have been registered in Maharashtra, prompting the comedian to seek legal protection from arrest while he prepares to contest the charges.Kunal Kamra is a permanent resident of Villupuram town in Tamil Nadu and thus claims Madras high court has jurisdiction. An urgent mentioning of the case was made before Justice Sunder Mohan on Friday, March 28, Live Law reported.A Zero FIR was lodged against Kamra under Sections 353(1)(b), 353(2) [Public mischief] and 356(2) [Defamation] BNS by Shiv Sena MLA Muraji Patel. The FIR was later transferred to Khar police station in Mumbai.Kamra's parody song about a "gaddar" (traitor) did not identify anyone but angered workers of Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena party, who ransacked the performance site Habitat studio in Mumbai and complained to police his act had defamed the leader.Kamra declined to appear before police in Mumbai, citing death threats against him by party members, and sought a week's time to do so.Shinde has said he did not support violence by his party workers, but added that Kamra's jokes were not in good taste.Over the weekend, his supporters ransacked the Habitat studio in Mumbai's Khar where Kamra had performed, forcing it to down shutters for the time being.On Wednesday, about a dozen police officers cordoned off the studio, its signage blacked out.Shinde became chief minister of Maharashtra in 2022, after engineering a revolt in the party when it broke ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party. He took on the deputy role in a later administration.Supporters inferred his identity from attributes mentioned in Kamra's song.Many BJP lawmakers warned against abuse of freedom of speech.Kamra, however, garnered support on social media and elsewhere, drawing more than 6 million views for a YouTube video of the performance, and more than 58,000 comments within two days.Many viewers donated money to him, backing his no-apology stance.Kamra, a controversial comedianKunal Kamra is no stranger to controversy, having faced several criminal cases and even a six-month airline ban in 2020 after he heckled a senior journalist aboard a plane.