TV actor Kiku jailed for parody on Dera Sacha Sauda chief

Television comic actor playing popular role as ‘Palak’ in ‘Comedy Nights with Kapil,’ Kiku Sharda, was on Wednesday sent to jail by a court in Haryana’s Kaithal for imitating the sect head of Dera Sacha Sauda, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, in one of his recent shows on TV. Hours after his stay in jail, Kiku was released on bail on a surety bond of Rs 1 lakh. 

The Haryana police brought the actor from Mumbai to Haryana, where he was produced before the court and remanded to 14-day judicial custody. His arrest has invited criticism from many in tinsel town. The actor was booked for outraging religious sentiments by insulting religion or religious belief.

Interestingly, the sect chief too was booked by the Punjab police some years ago after he courted controversy by “imitating a Sikh Guru”. The alleged act of blasphemy by the sect head, which led to massive protests, is still alive and led to outrage among Sikhs just a couple of months ago, first over the grant of clemency to the sect chief and later its withdrawal by the Akal Takht - the supreme temporal seat of Sikhism.  

Eight others, including Sunil Grover playing “Guthi” in the comic serial, have been booked.