Munawar Faruqui Gets Bail From Supreme Court After Month In Jail; Comedian Was Arrested For ‘Insulting’ Hindu Gods

Stand-up comic Munawar Faruqui was granted interim bail on February 5 by the Supreme Court. He was in jail for over a month over allegations of "insulting Hindu Gods and Goddesses" during a show. Issuing notice to Madhya Pradesh on the comedian's request that the FIR (First Information Report) against him be cancelled, SC agreed with his lawyer that procedure was not followed. Munawar Faruqui had been denied bail thrice before. The Madhya Pradesh High Court refused to grant him bail on January 28. The 29-year-old comedian was arrested on a complaint by a BJP MLA's son over a show in Indore on January 1. Four others were also arrested. All of them were accused of making "filthy and indecent jokes" about Hindu Gods and Goddesses, as well as Home Minister Amit Shah, according to the complaint by Eklvaya Singh Gaur, the son of a BJP MLA.