Comedian Munawar Faruqui’s bail hearing adjourned by a week as police fail to present case diary in court

The hearing on the bail petition of comedian Munawar Faruqui, arrested after a BJP leader's son alleged that he had made objectionable comments on Hindu gods and goddesses during a stand-up act, in Madhya Pradesh High Court was extended on Friday in the absence of a case diary.

A single bench of the HC of Justice Rohit Arya has summoned the case diary and has fixed the next date of hearing tentatively on January 25.

Faruqui's lawyer Anshuman Shrivastava told PTI that Tukoganj police station officials were unable to produce the case diary for the hearing.

Since his arrest after the comedy show in



question on January 1 in Indore's 56 Dukan area, Faruqui's bail plea has been rejected by the chief judicial magistrate and the sessions court, after which he approached the HC.

Eklavya Singh Gaud (36), son of local BJP MLA Malini Laxman Singh Gaud, had filed a police complaint claiming he had been to Faruqui's show and that it contained "indecent" comments on Hindu gods and goddesses as well as Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Faruqui has been booked under IPC sections 295A (outraging religious feelings), 269 (unlawful or negligent act likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life) among others.