The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday granted interim bail to Prakhar Vyas and Edwin Anthony who were arrested along with comedian Munawar Faruqui, Live Law reported.
Faruqui, Vyas and Anthony along with two others – Nalin Yadav and Priyam Vyas – were arrested in Indore on January 1 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Priyam Vyas, who is a minor, and Faruqui are already out on bail.
The police of Madhya Pradesh also arrested, Faruqui’s friend Sadaqat Khan, a Mumbai-based engineer, for allegedly making abusive remarks about complainant Eklavya Singh Gaur, the chief of Hindutva group Hind Rakshak Sangathan. A sessions court in Indore rejected Khan’s bail plea for the second time on February 10.
Faruqui was arrested from a cafe in Indore on a complaint by Gaur, the vigilante son of a Bharatiya Janata Party politician, who alleged that objectionable statements about Hindu deities were going to be made at the comedian’s show. People present at the club say that the police detained him before he had actually started performing. On January 4, the Indore Police had said that there was no visual evidence to show that Faruqui had insulted Hindu deities.
On February 5, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail, observing that allegations mentioned against him in the FIR were vague. The court also stayed the production warrant issued by the Uttar Pradesh Police against Faruqui.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!