Munawar Faruqui case: Two more co-accused Nalin Yadav, Sadaqat Khan granted interim bail

The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday granted interim bail to Nalin Yadav and Sadaqat Khan, who were involved in organising a comedy show during which stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui allegedly insulted Hindu deities.

A bench of Justice Rohit Arya delivered the order on Friday. The same bench had on February 12 granted interim bail to two other co-accused in the case--Prakhar Vyas and Edwin Antony. The bench had earlier said that they were “entitled for temporary bail maintaining parity in the light of the order dated February 5, 2021, passed by the Supreme Court."

For the uninitiated, Faruqui and four others (Prakhar Vyas, Edwin Antony, Nalin Yadav and Sadaqat Khan) involved in organising the show in Indore were arrested on January 2 following a complaint by Eklavya Singh Gaud, son of local BJP MLA Malini Laxman Singh Gaud.

The MLA's son had alleged that objectionable comments were made against Hindu deities and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the show held on January 1.

An FIR was registered by Madhya Pradesh Police against them on charges of Section 295-A (outraging religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 298 (uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings), 269 (negligent act likely to cause spread of disease), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

On February 5, Supreme Court granted interim bail to comedian Munawar Faruqui. SC issued notice to MP Police on Faruqui's plea challenging the MP High Court order declining him bail in the case. He was later released from Indore central jail late at night, a day after the Supreme Court granted him bail in a case. The jail administration had earlier expressed its inability to release Faruqui, citing a warrant issued by a court in Prayagraj.