No video of Munawar Faruqui insulting Hindu deities, says police
What's the story
The Indore Police on Sunday said they had no video evidence to prove the allegations that comedian Munawar Faruqui insulted Hindu deities during a recent performance at a cafe in the city. Faruqui was arrested on Friday for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, after which several prominent comedians showed support for him. Here are more details on this.
Details
There is no evidence against him, says cop
Kamlesh Sharma, the Town Inspector of Tukaganj Police station, said that the videos submitted by the complainant, in fact, showed another comedian allegedly making jokes on the Hindu deity Ganesh. Notably, Faruqui was also accused of ridiculing the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "There is no evidence against him for insulting Hindu deities or Union Minister Amit Shah," Sharma told The Indian Express.
Arrest
Faruqui, his associates were arrested on Friday
The development came two days after Faruqui and four of his associates were arrested following a complaint by Eklavya Singh Gaur, the chief of Hindutva group Hind Rakshak Sangathan. Gaur is the son of Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Malini Gaur. Faruqui was also apparently roughed up by some members of the right-wing outfit and then forcefully taken to the Tukaganj Police station.
Case
FIR registered under various sections of the IPC
"He is serial offender and often cracks defamatory jokes on Hindu gods and goddesses," Gaur told reporters outside the police station. The police has registered an FIR against Faruqui and his associates from Indore - Edvin Anthony, Prakhar Vyas, Priyam Vyas and Nalin Yadav - under the Sections 295A, 298, 269, 188 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Claims
No derogatory remarks were made, claims an eyewitness
Meanwhile, Jenosha Agnes, who claims to be a member of the audience at the controversial show, on Sunday recounted the incident on social media. She defended Faruqui, saying that he did not make any derogatory comments during his performance. "No derogatory remarks were made by Munawar Faruqui at the Indore show," she reportedly said. Faruqui's lawyer said they would file for bail on Monday.
Support
Fellow comedians express support for Faruqui, criticize arrest
To note, several popular comedians such as Varun Grover, Vir Das, Kaneez Surkha, and Rohan Joshi have voiced support for Faruqui and condemned his arrest. "You can't stop jokes and laughter. Not because comedians are performing it, but because people need to laugh. Harder you try, the more you are going to be laughed at, now, and by history (sic)," Das tweeted on Sunday.