New Delhi: Stand-up comic Munawar Faruqui, in jail for over a month over allegations of “insulting Hindu Gods and Goddesses” during a show, was granted interim bail today by the Supreme Court, which 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.