Kunal Kamra Moves Bombay High Court to Quash FIR Over Satirical Video; Urgent Hearing Scheduled for April 8

Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking the quashing of an FIR registered against him by the Mumbai Police, citing violations of his fundamental rights under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution, which guarantee freedom of expression and the right to life.

In a significant development on Monday, the High Court declined to grant Kamra interim protection from arrest. The court observed that Kamra’s petition is solely for quashing the FIR and directed that if he desires relief from arrest, he should file a separate anticipatory bail plea. The matter will now be taken up for urgent hearing on Tuesday, April 9.

Although the matter was initially scheduled for hearing on April 21, a bench of Justices Sarang V Kotwal and Shriram M Modak agreed to prepone it to April 8, Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Madras High Court had granted Kamra interim anticipatory bail until April 7.

Kamra informed the court that despite receiving threats, the Mumbai Police rejected his request to respond to their summons via videoconferencing. He also failed to appear before them on Saturday, marking his third absence in the case.

Appearing for Kamra, Senior Advocate Navroz Seervai argued that the situation was of urgent concern and involved a serious violation of the petitioner’s fundamental rights. He added that the Madras High Court had already taken note of the death threats faced by Kamra.

“The situation is grave,” Seervai submitted, citing reports that Mumbai Police officials had reached the vicinity of Pondicherry, where Kamra is currently residing.

The bench, led by Justice Kotwal, advised that Kamra could also explore the option of filing a regular anticipatory bail plea before the appropriate court for immediate relief. “We will examine this petition on its own merits, but you should consider the other legal route as well,” the judge remarked.

Kamra’s counsel agreed to consider the suggestion but reiterated the need for an urgent hearing. The bench then scheduled the matter for hearing on Tuesday.

The FIR, lodged at Khar Police Station, stems from Kamra’s satirical stand-up video titled Naya Bharat, which he posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle. The video featured political commentary and jokes targeting various National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

After the video gained traction online, members of the Shiv Sena allegedly vandalized Habitat—the venue in Khar where Kamra’s performance was filmed. In response, the Mumbai Police registered FIRs against both the Shiv Sena workers involved in the incident and Kamra himself.

Before the Bombay High Court, Kamra argued that the FIR was lodged with “malafide intent” and reflected a “gross abuse of power” by politically motivated members of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, a constituent of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra. He also questioned the unusual haste with which the FIR was registered just 70 minutes after the complaint was filed.

He had earlier submitted before the Madras High Court that the complaint was politically driven and that the vandalism which followed the release of his video underscored the malicious intent behind the FIR.

Kamra contended that the action violated his fundamental rights under Articles 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech and expression), 19(1)(g) (right to practice any profession), and 21 (right to life and personal liberty) of the Constitution.​