Mumbai-based stand-up comedian booked for insulting Union Home Minister Amit Shah

A stand-up comedian and four others were arrested for allegedly passing indecent remarks against Hindu deities and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a show at Indore in Madhya Pradesh, a police official said on Saturday. Police said the comedy show was held at a cafe in 56 Dukan area in the city on Friday. The complaint was filed by Eklavya Singh Gaur (36), son of local BJP MLA Malini Laxman Singh Gaur, based on which comedian Munawar Faruqui and four others were arrested, police said.Gaur and his associates had gone to the show as an audience, where they objected to the comments and created a ruckus over it. They also forced the event to stop. Some media reports said that the stand-up comedian was also thrashed by the workers of Hind Rakshak during the ruckus in the cafe.

"A case was filed late on Friday night against stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui, a resident of Junagadh in Gujarat and four Indore-based persons based on a written complaint filed by Eklavya Singh Gaur, who also submitted a controversial video footage of the comedy show," in-charge of Tukoganj police station Kamlesh Sharma said. "All the five accused were later arrested," he said. As per the complaint, indecent remarks were passed against Hindu gods and goddesses and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the show, Sharma said.Four other arrested persons were identified as Edwin Anthony, Prakhar Vyas, Priyam Vyas and Nalin Yadav, the police said. All of them were booked under IPC sections 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), section 269 (unlawful or negligent act likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life) and other relevant provisions.