Madras HC extends Kamra’s interim bail; Bombay HC to take up his plea on Tuesday

The Madras high court on Monday extended stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra’s interim anticipatory bail until April 17 in connection with the First Information Report (FIR) lodged against him in Mumbai over his alleged remarks against Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde.

Justice Sundar Mohan asked Kamra’s counsel, advocate V Suresh, to “take steps to approach concerned authorities” as he extended the interim relief granted on March 28. Suresh said Kamra has approached the Bombay high court, which will take up the hearing of his plea for quashing the FIR on Tuesday. He added that three more FIRs were lodged against Kamra after he approached the Madras high court.

“They [the police] have gone to his [Kamra]’s house and disturbed his aged parents. They have even summoned the people who attended the event [where Kamra allegedly insulted Shinde].”

Justice Mohan said the Madras high court can only provide Kamra with interim relief. He said Kamra must exercise other remedies available.

Kamra moved the Madras high court seeking anticipatory bail last month, saying he has been a Tamil Nadu resident since 2021. He said death threats prevented him from travelling to Mumbai and approaching the courts there.

The Bombay high court on Monday asked Kamra to approach the jurisdictional court for regular anticipatory bail, as it agreed to hear Kamra’s plea for quashing the case.

Kamra’s counsel, senior advocate Navroz Seervai, on Monday mentioned the petition for urgent hearing before a bench of Bombay high court justices Sarang Kotwal and SM Modak. Kamra’s plea referred to the death threats he faced and requested the bench to hear the matter urgently. “It is a matter of extreme urgency and some concern. Death threats are being given to the petitioner.”

He said the Madras high court took cognisance of the threats and granted Kamra interim protection. “The situation is very grave. There are reports that the police have already reached Puducherry [looking for Kamra],” Seervai told the Bombay high court.

The bench said it would consider the petition for quashing the case independently, but Kamra should also consider the other route to seek regular anticipatory bail from the jurisdictional sessions court in Mumbai. Seervai agreed to explore options but requested the bench to prioritise the petition for hearing.

Kamra moved the Bombay high court on Saturday, challenging the “legality and propriety” of the FIR against him. He said it infringes upon his constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech and expression, right to profession and business of choice, and life and liberty.

Kamra was booked for a parody song that referred to a “gaddar (traitor)” during a show titled “Naya Bharat”, hinting at Shinde’s revolt against the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Shinde-led Shiv Sena workers vandalised the studio where the song was recorded. The FIR was registered against Kamra based on a Shiv Sena legislator Muraji Patel’s complaint on March 24.

Police visited Kamra’s Mumbai residence to serve him a summons after he failed to appear for questioning. Kamra said he is a resident of Tamil Nadu and that the police visit to his residence, where he has not lived for the last 10 years, was a “waste of time and public resources”.

The Madras high court on March 29 granted Kamra interim anticipatory bail until April 7, considering the threats he faced from Shiv Sena workers. Kamra’s petition said the police refused to allow him to appear for questioning via video conferencing despite a threat to his life.