Gujarat resident Munawar Faruqui was arrested on Saturday along with four other people.
Indore:
A court in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore rejected bail for comedian Munawar Faruqui and another defendant who were arrested last week over a complaint that “indecent” comments were made against Hindu deities during a performance in Indore.
After hearing arguments from both parties, Additional District and Session Court Judge Yatindra Kumar Guru rejected Munawar Faruqui and Nalin Yadav’s release on bail.
On January 2, the court of the chief judicial magistrate rejected the bail declaration of comedian Nalin Yadav and three other people.
Gujarat resident Munawar Faruqui was arrested on Saturday along with four other people for allegedly making indecent comments against Hindu deities and against Union Interior Minister Amit Shah during a show held at a cafe in Dukan area 56. in Indore on January 1.
The complaint was filed against him by Eklavya Singh Gaur, 36, the son of local BJP legislator Malini Laxman Singh Gaur.
Anshuman Shrivastava, the lawyer for Munawar Faruqui and Nalin Yadav, said the allegations made against his clients are “vague” in nature. He said the two were booked under political pressure.
He said that Munawar Faruqui and Nalin Yadav are actors and did not make any comments that hurt anyone’s religious feelings.
Opposing the release on bail, prosecuting attorney Vimal Mishra said both defendants had participated in the event for which permission was not taken from the local administration amid the pandemic.
Mishra said indecent comments were made against Hindu deities at the event, which he claimed was “full of obscenities despite the presence of underage boys and girls in the audience.”
The other people arrested were identified as Edwin Anthony, Prakhar Vyas and Priyam Vyas.
One more person was later arrested for participating in the show, police had said.
The police had registered five defendants under sections 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious sentiments of any kind by insulting their religion or religious beliefs), section 269 (wrongful or negligent act that may propagate infection of any life-threatening disease) and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Gaur said he and his associates had come to the show as an audience, where the comedian made the comments. They objected to his comments and created a scandal about it. They also forced the event to stop.
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