The court ruled after hearing the matter on Tuesday, April 8, which was requested by Kamra’s lawyer to be heard urgently, on Monday.
The petition was filed last week and was initially scheduled to be heard on April 21. But Kamra’s lawyers sought an urgent hearing on Monday, and the court took up the matter on Tuesday.
Adv Navroz Seervai appeared for Kunal Kamra and sought quashing of the FIR, seeking exemption from physical appearance if the court grants time to the state. He argued that Kamra had made multiple offers to record his statement through video calls.
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“He has offered to record his statement via video call on three separate occasions,” Seervai said. “Despite this, the police are insisting on his absolute physical presence. Kamra is not accused of any serious offence. This matter pertains to a comedy show, and the police already possess a video recording of the entire event,” he said.
Adv Seervai told the court that Kamra has been receiving death threats, and given the nature of the case, his presence should not be mandatory. “This is not a case involving murder or any heinous crime,” the advocate added.
The Additional Public Prosecutor sought more time to take instructions from the state, requesting an extension until April 22. However, the court noted that Kamra has already been granted protection by the Madras High Court until April 17, prompting the Bombay High Court to list the matter for hearing on April 16.
The court also issued notices to both respondents in the case, the Maharashtra government and the complainant, Shinde Sena MLA Murji Patel.
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“The request for Kamra’s exemption from appearing in person was raised during the proceedings, and the court has stated it will consider the application during the next hearing,” Kunal Kamra’s advocate on record, Meenaz Kakalia, told CNBC-TV18.
Kunal Kamra performed his recent stand-up act in February at Mumbai’s performing arts venue ‘The Habitat’. The full video of the act was uploaded last month. In his act, Kamra joked about Maharashtra’s Deputy CM Shinde. Shiv Sena leaders and workers came down heavily on Kamra for the act.
Shiv Sena leader Rahool Kanal, along with a group of party workers, vandalised the venue, heckled the staff, and since then, multiple people claiming to be Shinde supporters have been issuing threats to the stand-up comedian. Mumbai Police booked and arrested the Sena workers for vandalism. They secured bail from the court.
Mumbai Police booked Kunal Kamra on Sena MLA Murji Patel’s complaint. Mumbai Police has issued multiple summons to Kamra seeking his physical appearance.
