NEW DELHI: The Supreme court on Friday granted interim bail to stand-up comic Munawar Faruqui in a case pertaining to him making 'insulting' comments against Hindu gods during a show in Indore.
The apex court also stayed a production warrant issued against him in a case lodged in UP.
The 32-year-old comedian and four others were arrested on January 1 following a complaint by a BJP MLA's son that alleged objectionable remarks about Hindu deities and Union home minister Amit Shah were passed during a comedy show at a cafe in Indore on New Year's day. One more person was arrested subsequently.
Faruqui's counsel, senior advocate Vivek Tankha had contested the charge against his client under IPC Section 295A (outraging religious feelings), adding that he had not spoken any word that would hurt anybody's religious feelings.
On January 28, Madhya Pradesh high court had declined to grant him bail in a case. Rejecting the bail plea, the Madhya Pradesh high court said the liberty of a person has to be "balanced" with his duties towards other citizens.
In its order, the high court had said it would not comment on merits of the case, but based on the material seized, the witnesses' statements and considering the fact that probe was going on, no case was made out for grant of bail.
"The evidence/material collected so far suggests that in an organized public show under the garb of stand-up comedy at a public place on commercial lines, prima facie, scurrilous, disparaging utterances, outraging religious feelings of a class of citizens of India with deliberate intent, were made by the applicant," it had said.
There was a possibility that "more incriminating material" would be collected, and further, a similar case has been registered against Faruqui in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, the high court had noted.
The comedian had moved Supreme Court after lower courts repeatedly turned down his bail pleas.
Besides Faruqui, four other people associated with organising the show were booked under IPC Section 295A (outraging religious feelings) and other counts.