The Bombay High Court has agreed to fast-track a petition by comedian Kunal Kamra, who is fighting to have an FIR against him quashed—an FIR sparked by a single charged word: gaddar. The case, which now dances on the tightrope between satire and sedition, was pushed up the docket to April 8, after a plea for urgency citing death threats and imminent police action.
Originally set for April 21, the matter found its way to the top of Monday’s agenda after Kamra’s legal counsel made an impassioned pitch to Justices Sarang Kotwal and SM Modak. “It’s not just criminal law anymore—it’s a question of fundamental rights,” the court was told.
At the heart of this courtroom drama is a moment from Kamra’s recent performance, where he allegedly called Maharashtra’s Deputy CM Eknath Shinde a “gaddar”—a jibe tied to Shinde’s 2022 political pivot from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena to the BJP, a move that cracked open the party and realigned power in the state.
The FIR, filed by Shiv Sena MLA Muraji Patel, was registered in Mumbai under Sections 353(1)(b), 353(2) (public mischief), and 356(2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Kamra, however, resides in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, and was granted anticipatory bail by the Madras High Court on March 28. That bail expired Monday.
As the bench weighed the urgency, it was revealed that Mumbai police had already made their way to Pondicherry, where Kamra was reportedly staying. The implication? The noose was tightening.
Justice Kotwal, while agreeing to hear the case the next day, pointed out an alternative path—suggesting Kamra may also want to consider applying for anticipatory bail before a jurisdictional court, in line with a Supreme Court precedent. Kamra’s team nodded, but stayed firm in their request for a speedy hearing, citing the gravity of the threats.
With comedy on trial and politics in the front row, the court has now set the stage for an April 8 hearing. Whether the punchline lands in Kamra’s favor remains to be seen.
