‘Waste of time’: Kunal Kamra reacts as cops visit his home for skipping summons in Eknath Shinde joke case

Comedian Kunal Kamra, under fire for his ‘traitor’ joke about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a comedy show, faced an unexpected visit from Mumbai Police on Monday. After skipping multiple summons, officers arrived at his Mahim residence to “check” his availability when he failed to appear as required.

Since registering an FIR on March 24 based on Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel’s complaint, Khar police have sent two summons to Kunal Kamra for his comments against Eknath Shinde. It should be noted that the comedian did not name the deputy chief minister in his comedy show.

Reacting to the development, Kunal Kamra said it was a waste of time and resources as he has not lived in his Mahim house for 10 years. “Going to an address where I haven’t lived for the last 10 Years is a waste of your time & public resources,” Kunal Kamra said in a post on Instagram.

“A Khar police team went to his [Kunal Kamra] house in Mahim, where his family stays, to check whether he would appear in connection with the case or not. Since he did not, further course of action will be decided soon,” an official said.

The Madras High Court on March 28 granted interim anticipatory bail to Kunal Kamra on the condition that he execute a bond to the satisfaction of the judicial magistrate at Vanur in Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu. The comedian had submitted he moved to Tamil Nadu from Mumbai in 2021 and has been “ordinarily a resident of this State (Tamil Nadu) since then” and that he feared arrest by Mumbai Police.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena functionary Rahool Kanal, who was one of those arrested for vandalising The Habitat studio after Kunal Kamra's show, said on Monday that Kunal Kamra will be welcomed in “Shiv Sena-style” when he comes to Mumbai.

Rahool Kanal and 11 other Shiv Sainiks were arrested on March 23 after they ransacked the studio where Kamra performed his stand-up act.