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The Mumbai Police said on Wednesday that it has issued a third summons to comedian Kunal Kamra, asking for his appearance for questioning in a case registered against him for alleged jokes targeting Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. Officials told news agency PTI that the third summons was issued on Tuesday asking Kunal Kamra to appear at the Khar police station after he failed to turn up twice for the investigation. ALSO READ | Cases against Kunal Kamra rise after 'traitor' jab, a request from Team Uddhav Police officials visited Kamra's house in Mumbai on Monday to determine whether he would appear before them.
The comedian is under interim anticipatory bail granted by the Madras High Court until April 7, allowing him to approach the courts in Maharashtra. Kamra is facing cases registered under sections 353 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356 (2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Khar police station. These complaints from various Shiv Sena workers were transferred to Khar from various police stations.
Controversy over police action On Tuesday, Mumbai police clarified that no notices had been issued to audience members who attended Kamra's show in Mumbai's Habitat Studio. The statement came after uproar over media reports suggesting that summons were issued to some audience members. A senior police official insisted they had not summoned any audience members for an inquiry or to record their statements over the case.
ALSO READ | Supreme Court disapproves of direct FIRs in free speech case, says conduct prelim inquiry first The opposition parties in Maharashtra have slammed police action in the controversy. State Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal accused the BJP-led Mahayuti government of Maharashtra into a police state. “The government was rattled by Kamra's satirical poetry.
Is watching Kunal Kamra's show a crime? Punishing the innocent and letting the guilty go free is the Mahayuti government's policy,” said the Congress leader. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray also targeted the government over alleged notices to audience members. “On one hand, rapes are taking place frequently, and riots are being engineered (in the state).
On the other hand, notices are being sent to those who attended a comedy show,” said the former state minister..
