Mumbai police probing ‘paid content' angle in Kunal Kamra row: Report

The Kunal Kamra tilt has reportedly taken a young angle as the police force ar investigating a confederacy angle behind the comedian’s jokes aimed at Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde.According to an NDTV report, the cops are also probing whether Kamra received money or any other form of compensation to mock the Shiv Sena chief. HT can't independently verify the report.A police team delivered a summons at Kunal Kamra's Mumbai home and has asked him to appear for questioning regarding the cases filed against him since the controversy broke out. While the comic is said to be in Tamil Nadu, his parents stay in Mumbai. The summons has also been sent to him through WhatsApp.According to sources quoted in the NDTV report, the cops are trying to ascertain if Kunal Kamra was paid by anyone to target Eknath Shinde. Another angle is if he received any help in the scripting of the parody song that stoked the controversy in the first place. For this, Kunal Kamra's phone and other devices may be examined during the probe, the report added.The Kunal Kamra controversyThe controversy erupted due to a video uploaded on YouTube from a show in Mumbai's Khar area. The video was shot at Habitat studio in ‘The UniContinental’ where Kunal Kamra targeted Eknath Shinde with a parody of 'Bholi Si Surat', a popular song from the 1997 blockbuster Dil To Pagal Hai.Kamra took a jibe at the deputy CM using the word 'gaddar' (traitor), an apparent reference to his rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray in 2022 that brought down his government and split the party.Shiv Sena workers vandalised the venue after the video went viral, with the club shutting down temporarily. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) also demolished a part of the club in the aftermath of the incident.On Monday night, Kamra issued a statement saying he would not apologise for his remarks. He also defended the venue, saying neither they nor any political party had anything to do with the content of his show.“Attacking a venue for a comedian's words is as senseless as overturning a lorry carrying tomatoes because you didn't like the butter chicken you were served," he said in a post across his social media profiles.The statement also added that he does not fear the mob and won't be hiding. The comic said he was willing to cooperate with police and courts.While the members of the ruling Mahayuti alliance have criticised Kamra’s remarks, the opposition has backed the comic and slammed the Maharashtra government for going after him. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said Kunal Kamra has told the truth and ‘a gaddar will be called gaddar’.