Breach of privilege proceedings against Kunal Kamra to begin soon

Comedian Kunal Kamra. File Pic

The proceedings regarding the breach of privilege involving stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, due to his parody song aimed at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, are set to commence soon, according to a senior official's statement on Saturday.

During the budget session in March, BJP legislator Pravin Darekar filed a notice against the comedian and Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sushma Andhare in the state legislative council.

Legislature secretary Jitendra Bhole said, "Legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde has forwarded the notice to the privilege committee headed by BJP MLC Prasad Lad," reported PTI.

When contacted, Lad told PTI that the committee headed by him met to discuss the breach of privilege notice, and he had initiated the process of issuing a notice to Kamra and Andhare, as per PTI.

In March, Kamra, known for his no-holds-barred stand-up comedy at the expense of politicians and celebrities, incurred the wrath of Shinde's supporters with a song targeting the Shiv Sena president.

Earlier in April, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Mumbai police and Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel in connection with a plea filed by comedian Kunal Kamra seeking to quash a First Information Report (FIR) lodged against him. The FIR, registered at the Khar police station, was filed following a complaint by Patel, who alleged that Kamra referred to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a "gaddar" (traitor) during a stand-up performance.

The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Justices Sarang Kotwal and S M Modak, who scheduled the next hearing for 16 April. As per PTI, Kamra has not responded in person to three summons issued by the police thus far.

The FIR against Kamra has been registered under sections 353(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356(2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. According to PTI, three other FIRs against the comedian - filed in Nashik Rural, Jalgaon, and Nandgaon (Nashik) - have now been consolidated and transferred to the Khar police station for further investigation. Kamra's senior counsel, Navroz Seervai, informed the court that the Madras High Court had extended Kamra's interim transit anticipatory bail until 17 April. The advocate further noted that Kamra, who has been residing in Tamil Nadu since 2021, has on three occasions offered to join the investigation via video conference, citing threats to his safety if he were to appear in person.

(With PTI inputs)