‘Traitor’ jibe case: Kunal Kamra fails to appear before Mumbai police; skips third summons

Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra failed to appear before the Mumbai police on Saturday in connection with a case registered against him for allegedly passing a “traitor” jibe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, an official said. This is the third time Kamra has given police summons a miss, the official said.

The Khar police booked Kamra on a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel for allegedly making defamatory remarks against the deputy chief minister during a show.

Kamra shot a video lampooning Shinde over the split in the Shiv Sena, and party workers later ransacked the studio and the hotel in which it is located on the night of March 23.

The official said the Mumbai police asked Kamra to appear before it on April 5, issuing summons to him for the third time.

Earlier this week, a team from the Khar police visited his residence in Mahim after he skipped the second summons.

The Madras High Court has granted interim anticipatory bail to Kamra till April 7. He is a permanent resident of Tamil Nadu. Three FIRs registered against the comedian at Nashik Rural, Jalgaon and Nashik (Nandgaon) have been transferred to Khar police station.