Comedian Munawar Faruqui Still in Jail as HC Adjourns Bail Hearing

Faruqui was arrested for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

Comedian Munawar Faruqui.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday (15 January) adjourned the bail application filed by Mumbai-based stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui after the Indore Police failed to produce a case diary before the bench, as per a report by The Indian Express. The Indore Police had earlier said that there is no evidence regarding the allegations against Faruqui.

Six people are in jail for more than a fortnight in the case against the comedian, who was arrested for allegedly hurting religious sentiments in a show.

Among the people behind bars, one is the show's organiser's brother who was part of the audience, another Faruqui's friend and a third whose only family consists of a minor brother, the Express report states.

On 5 January, an Additional District and Sessions court in Madhya Pradesh denied bail to Munawar Faruqui and another accused. After adjourning the hearing on Friday, the matter has been listed for 22 January, reported Bar and Bench.

Faruqui, a resident of Gujarat, was arrested along with four others on 2 January on a complaint filed against them by Eklavya Singh Gaur, the son of local BJP legislator Malini Laxman Singh Gaur.

The police booked the accused under Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), Section 269 (unlawful or negligent act likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life) and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).