Bombay High Court drops FIR against Singh and Suman
Entertainment
The Bombay High Court has dropped an old FIR against Bharti Singh and actor Shekhar Suman.
The case was about a 2010 Comedy Circus Ka Jadoo episode where their playful line (Ya Allah! Rasgulla! Dahi Bhalla) sparked claims of religious insult.
The complaint came from a Raza Academy representative, who prima facie did not appear to have personally viewed the episode.
Court: no malicious intent under 295A
Justice Amit Borkar pointed out that to charge someone under Section 295A, there has to be clear "deliberate and malicious intent," which just wasn't there.
The court also highlighted that comedy is its own art form and shouldn't be judged like political or religious statements.
Food jokes on a comedy show, the court added, don't equal disrespecting religion.