'Traitor' jibe: Continue probe, but don't arrest Kamra, says Bombay High Court on comedian's plea against FIR

It said that if the police wanted to record Kamra's statement, they shall do so in Chennai, where he currently resides, after giving him prior notice.

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has directed the Mumbai Police to continue its probe against Kunal Kamra, go to Chennai to record his statement if needed, but not to arrest the stand-up comedian who faces a bunch of FIRs for his ‘gaddar’ jibe against Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde.

However, a bench comprising Justice Sarang Kotwal and Shriram Modak, however, refused to stay the probe against Kamra.

"Investigation can continue. The petitioner (Kamra) shall not be arrested during the pendency of the petition," the court said.

Appearing for Kamra, Senior Counsel Navroz Seervai argued that the FIR was filed in a hasty and arbitrary manner, without any proper preliminary enquiry.

The judges gave liberty to the police to travel to Chennai and take help of the local police - after giving sufficient notice - if it wanted to record the comedian’s statement.

Earlier on April 8, the Bombay High Court had granted interim protection from arrest to Kamra till 16 April, while the Madras High Court had given a similar relief till 17 April.

Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel has filed the complaint with the MIDC police station, which registered an FIR. Two FIRs registered against the comedian at Nashik Rural and Jalgaon have also been transferred to the Khar police along with the MIDC police station FIR.

The FIR was registered against Kamra on March 24 under Sections 353 (1) (b), 353 (2) (public mischief), and 356 (2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.