Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra failed to appear before the Mumbai Police for the third consecutive time on Saturday, in connection with a case filed against him over alleged derogatory remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Police officials confirmed that Kamra has once again ignored summons issued as part of the ongoing inquiry.
Kamra had secured interim anticipatory bail from the Madras High Court, which is valid until 7 April. Despite the bail, the comedian was expected to present himself before the Khar police earlier this week, following a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel.
Having failed to do so, a fresh summons has been issued, requiring him to join the investigation by 5 April.
The controversy began after Kamra shared a video satirising Eknath Shinde in the context of the Shiv Sena split. This led to significant backlash, including an incident on 23 March in which Shiv Sena workers allegedly vandalised the recording studio and hotel premises where the performance was filmed.
Three First Information Reports (FIRs) against Kamra — registered in Nashik Rural, Jalgaon, and Nandgaon — have now been transferred to the Khar police station, where the investigation is being consolidated.
Amid the ongoing row, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena has also claimed that event ticketing platform BookMyShow has removed Kunal Kamra from its artist listings and promotional channels. Shiv Sena functionary Rahool Kanal, who serves as the party’s social media in-charge, publicly thanked BookMyShow CEO Ashish Hemrajani for removing Kamra, describing the move as keeping the platform “clean” and free from artists promoting "personal agendas."
While BookMyShow has not officially commented, Kamra responded to the reports on X (formerly Twitter), requesting clarification from the platform. “If not, it’s fine. I understand,” he wrote.
In a letter addressed to Hemrajani, Kanal expressed gratitude for the removal of Kamra and praised the platform’s decision as a stand for peace and artistic values.
“Your belief in maintaining peace and respecting our emotions has been instrumental,” he wrote, while also stating that Mumbaikars support art but not personal vendettas.
Ironically, Kanal himself was among those booked for allegedly vandalising Kamra’s studio in the wake of the controversy. Despite his role in the row, he lauded BookMyShow’s “vision and leadership” in taking action against Kamra.
Meanwhile, Kamra has continued to speak out through social media. In a sharply worded post titled “How to Kill an Artist Democratically”, he outlined the various ways dissenting voices are systematically silenced — from public outrage and brand boycotts to venue blacklisting and police pressure.
The post drew attention to what Kamra described as a targeted effort to stifle independent artistic expression under the guise of democratic processes.
He further criticised the Mumbai Police for visiting an outdated address in Puducherry in an attempt to serve summons, calling into question the intent and seriousness of the authorities' efforts.
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