Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui was on Saturday arrested allegedly for indecent remarks against Hindu deities and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a show in Madhya Pradesh's Indore. However, two days after arresting Faruqui, in-charge of Tukoganj Police Station Kamlesh Sharma said that they found nothing malicious in video footage of the show.
"We have examined two video footages given by the complainant (Hind Rakshak organisation's chief and the son of BJP MLA Malini Gaur, Eklavya Singh Gaur). Nothing has been found to be malicious in the same,” Sharma told India Today. "Now a pen drive has been given by the complainant and the same is being examined. But we can safely say that nothing incriminating was found in the two sets of video footages that were initially given by the complainant," he added.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has slammed Faruqui's arrest and said that it should collectively shame us. "This @munawar0018 episode shames us all. As a democracy; as a country mature enough to enjoy a laugh; as a society that does not discriminate on the basis of religion; as a state system where the law & police work impartially. In none of these categories can we hold our head high," the Thiruvananthapuram MP tweeted.
The FIR was filed on the complaint of Eklavya Singh Gaur, for allegedly using obscene language against Hindu deities. According to Gaur, he and his associates had gone to watch the show and when they heard the “indecent” comments, they forced the organisers to stop the programme.
As per the complaint, indecent remarks were passed against Hindu gods and goddesses and the Union Home Minister during the show, in-charge of Tukoganj police station Kamlesh Sharma had earlier said.
Faruqui was then arrested along with four others. Later, a local court rejected their bail pleas and sent them to judicial custody.
