Comedian among 5 held for remarks on deities

Munawar Faruqui, a stand-up comedian from Gujarat, was on Saturday arrested along with four others after the son of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA filed a complaint accusing them of passing “indecent remarks about Hindu deities and Union Home Minister Amit Shah” during a show here.

A local court rejected their bail pleas and sent them to judicial custody.

The comedy show was held at a cafe here on Friday, the police said.

Eklavya Singh Gaur, 36, son of local BJP MLA Malini Laxman Singh Gaur, had filed a complaint about the show.

Mr. Gaur said that he and his associates had gone to watch the show. When they heard the “indecent” comments, they forced the organisers to stop the programme.

“A case was filed late on Friday night against Munawar Faruqui, a resident of Junagadh in Gujarat, and four Indore-based persons, based on a written complaint filed by Gaur,” said Kamlesh Sharma, Tukoganj police station in-charge.

Mr. Gaur had also submitted video footage of the show, he added.

The other arrested persons were identified as Edwin Anthony, Prakhar Vyas, Priyam Vyas and Nalin Yadav.

Section 269 was invoked for allegedly ignoring COVID- 19 safety protocol, the official said.