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Bombay HC Quashes FIR Against Shekhar Suman, Bharti Singh for Offensive Remark
The court said the scripted comedy line lacked deliberate intent to insult religion and that common food names do not carry religious meaning.
- On April 29, the Bombay High Court quashed a 2010 FIR against actor Shekhar Suman and comedian Bharti Singh, with Justice Amit Borkar ruling the comedy program was "light entertainment" lacking "deliberate and malicious intention" to insult religious feelings.
- The FIR stemmed from a 2010 episode of 'Comedy Circus Ka Jadoo' on Sony Entertainment Television, where a complaint alleged the phrase 'Ya Allah! Dahi Bhalla' insulted Muslim religious sentiments.
- Prosecutors registered the case under Section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code, though the court noted the complainant appeared not to have personally watched the show, relying on third-party representations.
- Justice Borkar emphasized that food terms like 'rasgulla' and 'dahi bhalla' carry no religious meaning, determining the scripted performance showed no attempt to hurt beliefs and failed the legal test for criminal intent.
- By dismissing the petitions, the court ended a legal case that lingered for over a decade, clarifying that comedy performances must be viewed in their proper context as mere use of common terms does not constitute a criminal offense.
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Bombay High Court quashes FIRs filed against comedian Bharti Singh and actor Shekhar Suman over a joke containing the words "Ya Allah! Rasgulla! DahiBhalla!"
The Bombay High Court recently quashed the FIRs filed against actor Shekhar Suman and comedian Bharti Singh for a joke made during a popular comedy show, “Comedy Circus Ka Jadoo”, aired on Sony TV in November 2010. The decision passed on Wednesday (29th April) came during the hearing on the petitions filed by Suman and Singh, seeking the quashing of the FIR filed against them. A Bench of Justice Amit Borkar held that no offence was made out agai…
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