Kunal Kamra Requests Week to Join Investigation; Mumbai Cops Deny, Summon Him to Appear on Monday

Mumbai Police have summoned stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra to appear for questioning on Monday amidst the massive controversy that stemmed out of his joke allegedly about Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Kamra requested a week to appear before the authorities, citing life threats, but the police denied the request, stating no more time could be given. He had asked to comply by April 3, but it was turned down, reported NDTV.

The comedian faces several charges, including defamation and public mischief. Mumbai Police have also filed a case against certain Shiv Sena supporters involved in an act of vandalism at Habitat, the venue where Kamnra performed his set. In his set, Kamra, a political satirist parodied the song “Bholi Si Surat” from the 1997 film Dil To Pagal Hai, allegedly mocking Eknath Shinde and calling him a "gaddar" (traitor) for leading the rebellion that split Shiv Sena and toppled Uddhav Thackeray's government in 2022.

The release of the video sparked outrage among Shiv Sena supporters, leading them to barge the Khar-based Habitat studio, a popular venue for comedy shows, where they damaged equipment in protest. The following day, a team of civic officials conducted a demolition at the studio, citing building law violations.

The studio’s management clarified that they only provided the venue and had no control over the content of the show. "Attacking a venue for a comedian's words is as senseless as overturning a lorry carrying tomatoes because you didn't like the butter chicken you were served," said Kamra taking to social media platform “X”.

Despite the threats, Kamra stated that he was not afraid of the mob and had no intention of hiding. He expressed his willingness to cooperate with both the police and the courts but raised concerns about the fairness of the law. "Will the law be fairly and equally deployed against those who have decided that vandalism is the appropriate response to being offended by a joke?" he asked. He also questioned the actions of unelected members of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), who arrived unannounced and caused damage to the studio with hammers.​