MUMBAI: Comedian Kunal Kamra, who kicked up a row on Sunday by sharing a song that referred to Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, without naming him, as a turncoat and traitor, has been booked for criminal intimidation and defamation. Sena workers who attacked a comedy club in Khar on Sunday night following Kamra’s show have also been booked for criminal intimidation, rioting, damaging property and other charges.
The FIR against Kamra was registered at the MIDC police station in Andheri on Sunday night, based on a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel. The complaint sought immediate action against Kamra by police and an apology from the comedian.
Rajiv Chavan, senior police inspector, MIDC police station, said Kamra had been booked under sections 353(1) (criminal intimidation), 353(2) (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 356(2) (criminal defamation) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita and the case had been transferred to the Khar police station in the early hours on Monday.
Kamra, who is in Puducherry, has told the Khar police that the song was shot in a rented studio at The Habitat, located in the Unicontinental Hotel premises, on February 2. “He has said that he had no regrets over what he said and will apologise in court if asked,” said an officer. The Khar police will issue a notice to Kamra soon, the officer added.
The FIR against Shiv Sena workers who vandalised the Habitat, a stand-up comedy venue inside the Unicontinental Hotel in Khar, was also registered at Khar police station. It was based on a complaint by police constable Vijay Ranganath Saib from the Carter Road police chowky, who said a group of Sena workers reached the venue at 10.30pm on Sunday after Kamra’s stand-up act, accusing him of insulting and defaming deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. The Sena leaders demanded an apology from Kamra and vandalised the office of the manager at the venue over the song mocking Shinde.
Shiv Sena social media chief and Yuva Sena general secretary Rahool Kanal and 19 others were booked under sections 132 (assaulting or using criminal force against a public servant to deter them from performing their duty), 189(2) (unlawful assembly), 189(3) (definition of unlawful assembly), 190 (constructive liability for unlawful assemblies), 191(2) (all members of an unlawful assembly are guilty of rioting if any member uses violence), 324(5) (mischief with damage to property), 324(6) (mischief with preparation for harming or causing death of any person), 223 (disobedience to orders duly promulgated by a public servant), 351(2) (punishment for criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult with the intent to provoke a breach of peace) 333 (house trespass with intent to cause harm) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections 37(1) (power to prevent certain acts) and 135 (breach of prohibitory orders) of the Maharashtra Police Act.
Following registration of the FIR, Kanal, Sena vibhag pramukh (division chief) Kunal Sarmalkar and nine other accused were arrested. They were released later in the day on cash bail of ₹15,000 each and their passports were seized.
