Kunal Kamra case: Madras High Court extends his interim anticipatory bail till April 17

The Madras High Court on Monday (April 7, 2025) extended the interim protection from arrest granted to popular stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, 36, until April 17.

The Madras High Court on Monday (April 7, 2025) extended the interim protection from arrest granted to popular stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, 36, until April 17. This protection was in connection with a case registered against him by the Khar police in Mumbai, for allegedly making slanderous comments against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during his latest comedy show titled ‘Naya Bharat.’

Justice Sunder Mohan passed the orders after advocate V. Suresh, assisted by S. Tanvi, told the court he had served private notice on the Khar police, as ordered by the court on March 28, 2025, while granting interim anticipatory bail to his client. The judge directed the Registry to ascertain if the court notice had also been served and to list the matter again on April 17.

Mr. Suresh told the court that after the grant of the interim inter-State anticipatory bail in one case, the Khar police had registered three other cases against the comedian, disturbed his aged parents by going to their Mumbai residence though he had been living in Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu since 2021, and also summoned the spectators of the comedy show for inquiry.

However, not wanting to go into the merits of the case, the judge pointed out he had granted an interim relief only until the petitioner could approach the Bombay High Court and obtain a regular anticipatory bail. When he wanted to know whether steps had been taken to file a petition in the Bombay High Court, Mr. Suresh replied in the affirmative.

Thereafter, the judge directed the Madras High Court Registry to find out whether court notice on the plea for inter State anticipatory bail had been served on the Khar police and print their name in the cause list, if the notice had been served, on April 17. He also made it clear that the interim relief granted on March 28 would continue till the next date of hearing of the present plea.

In his petition before the Madras High Court, Mr. Kamra had said though he was born in Mumbai, he shifted his residence to Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu in February 2021 because he was desirous of leading a quiet life in a rural area. He, however, travels widely for performing his shows in different venues and that was how he was in Mumbai for the Naya Bharat show in February this year.

After the video of the comedy show was uploaded on his YouTube channel on February 23, 2025, a group claiming to be political activists vandalised the venue where the show was performed at Khar in Mumbai. On the same day, a local MLA lodged a police complaint accusing the petitioner of having defamed Mr. Shinde by making slanderous comments about the latter’s conduct.