The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday, 28 January, rejected bail applications of comedian Munawar Faruqui and his associate Nalin Yadav. They were arrested on 2 January for allegedly insulting Hindu deities and hurting religious sentiments.
Justice Rohit Arya in his order observed that no case for bail had been made out. He said that there was a "constitutional duty on every citizen and the State to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood irrespective of religious, linguistic, sectional and regional diversities (under Article 51A(e) and (f) of the Constitution)," reported Bar & Bench.
The high court also held that "The evidence/material collected so far, suggest that in an organized public show under the garb of stand-up comedy on commercial lines, prima facie scurrilous, disparaging utterances, outraging religious feelings of a class of citizens of India were made."
The court had earlier adjourned the bail application after the Indore Police failed to produce a case diary before the bench.
Faruqui moved the high court seeking bail after previous applications had been denied by lower courts. 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. They were accused of insulting Home Minister Amit Shah and Hindu deties. On 3 January, the Indore Police said that there is no evidence regarding the allegations against Faruqui.
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