Mumbai Police have issued a third summons to comedian Kunal Kamra after he failed to appear for questioning regarding his controversial jokes about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The police have instructed him to appear on April 5.
Earlier today, Kamra, who stirred a significant controversy with his stand-up routine, secured anticipatory bail from the Madras High Court, which is valid until April 7. Kamra, a resident of Tamil Nadu, had previously been summoned twice by the Mumbai Police after an FIR was filed on March 24 following a complaint from Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel. Three separate cases have been registered against Kamra at Khar police station. Complaints were also filed by the Mayor of Jalgaon, as well as a hotelier and a businessman from Nashik.
The controversy began when Kamra released a video on March 23 in which he parodied a song from the 1997 film Dil Toh Pagal Hai, targeting Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The video led to widespread backlash, with Shiv Sena workers vandalizing the venue where Kamra performed. In response, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) began demolishing parts of the Habitat studio.
Sources told India Today TV that Kamra informed police that he would cooperate with the investigation, but was not currently in Mumbai. He also stated that he would not apologize for his remarks.
In a subsequent statement, Kamra defended his actions, claiming it was not illegal to mock public figures. “Your inability to take a joke at the expense of a powerful public figure does not change the nature of my right,” his statement read.
