The Maharashtra Police have issued notices to individuals who attended comedian Kunal Kamra’s show Naya Bharat on February 2 at Habitat Studio, News18 reported. The move comes as authorities examine Kamra’s comments regarding Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during the event.
The summons were sent under Section 179 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which permits authorities to call witnesses for questioning. Former IPS officer and lawyer YP Singh stated that while the police can record statements from attendees, the presence of video evidence reduces the necessity of doing so. He also noted that the remarks made during the performance fall under free speech protections, making the case less severe.
Meanwhile, police officers from Khar station visited an address linked to Kamra, but the comedian later stated on social media that he had not lived there for a decade. Kamra had been asked to appear before the police on March 25 and 26, but he did not comply. He has interim bail from the Madras High Court until April 7.
The controversy began after Kamra referred to Shinde as a “gaddar” (traitor) in relation to the 2022 political upheaval that led to the collapse of Uddhav Thackeray’s government. The clip from the show was uploaded on YouTube on March 23, leading to strong reactions from Shiv Sena supporters. Party members have demanded an apology from the comedian.
As of now, police officials have stated that no further notices have been sent, and Kamra’s legal team has not contacted them regarding the matter.
