NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday transferred all FIRs lodged against comedian Munawar Faruqui to Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in connection with his alleged remarks on Hindu deities during a show in 2021.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sanjay Karol also made as absolute interim protection granted to Munawar, while clarifying that the court has not gone into the merits of the plea for quashing of the FIRs.
The court rejected a contention by Munawars counsel that FIRs should not be transferred to Indore as there is threat to his client's safety over there.
Indore is a safe city. It is also close to Mumbai. What is the issue with transferring the FIRs to Indore, the bench asked.
The counsel asked the bench to club the FIRs and transfer those either to Mumbai or Delhi and not Indore or Prayagraj. He said there was a huge mob and there were threats to his clients safety in these cities.
The bench, however, ordered, Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances, and the previous order of this Court, we are inclined to transfer all the complaints to Indore. We have already granted him earlier interim protection, the same is made absolute."
The bench said it has not considered the merits of the matter insofar as the prayer for quashing and the petitioner is at liberty to initiate such proceedings as permitted under the law.
The court also extended interim protection granted to him in a Delhi case for three weeks.
On February 5, 2021, the court had granted interim bail to comedian Munawar, prima facie agreeing to his contention that arrest did not follow due procedure.
According to the FIR, the remarks were made at a comedy show held at a cafe in Indore in January 2021. It was alleged that in the show jokes were made regarding Hindu gods and goddesses and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
In his plea, Munawar challenged the January 28, 2021 order of the High Court, which had said no case for bail was made out in view of the material seized and the statements of the witnesses.
Munawar, a resident of Gujarat, was arrested on January 2, 2021 along with four others on the allegations that he made derogatory remarks against Hindu gods during the stand-up show in Indore. The complaint was filed by Eklavya Singh Gaud, son of BJP MLA Malini Laxman Singh Gaud.
He was booked under Sections 295-A (Outraging religious feelings), 269 (Unlawful act likely to spread the infection [Covid-19] of any disease dangerous to life) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
