In jail for more than a month over allegations of “insulting Hindu Gods and Goddesses”, Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui was given interim bail on Friday by the Supreme Court. The apex court also issued notice to the Madhya Pradesh government and put on hold a warrant against him in Uttar Pradesh.
Issuing notice to Madhya Pradesh on the comedian’s request that the FIR (First Information Report) against him be cancelled, the Supreme Court agreed with his lawyer that procedure was not followed.
Munawar Faruqui’s lawyer had argued that a person cannot be arrested without a magistrate’s order or a warrant, which is stated in Section 41 of the Criminal code.
“Do you say that Section 41 CrPC was not followed as per our 2014 judgment,” Justice Rohington Nariman asked the lawyer, Gaurav Kirpal. Mr Kirpal said it wasn’t and his client was being harassed. He also told the top court that a production warrant was out for Munawar Faruqui in Uttar Pradesh; the warrant was stayed.
Munawar Faruqui had been denied bail thrice before. The Madhya Pradesh High Court refused to grant him bail on January 28.
