Kunal Kamra Stumbles on Contempt Charges, Bombay High Court Dismisses Petition
Bombay High Court Declines Shiv Sena Legislator's Challenge Against Comedian Kunal Kamra
In the latest twist of events, the Bombay High Court has waved off a petition filed by Shiv Sena MLA Kiran Samant against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra. The petition alleged that Kamra's digital content disparaged and mocked the judicial system for the sake of fame and financial gains.
The petition was lodged on April 16, 2025, demanding urgent judicial action against the growing misuse of digital platforms by public figures. It accused Kamra of assailing the Indian judiciary with derogatory and scandalous content, cloaked under the guise of free speech, while bolstering his revenue.
Remarkably, the court grilled the petition on the "selective targeting" of Kamra while countless others have also criticized the judiciary, but were not mentioned in the petition.
In the petition, examples of Kamra's actions on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) from 2020, and his stand-up comedy shows from 2022, were cited as instances of Kamra undermining the courts and judges with the intention of promoting chaos.
The lawyer representing Samant argued that Kamra's statements were malicious in nature, tarnishing the image of the judiciary, and generating massive profits through this defamatory conduct.
However, Senior Advocate Darius Khambata, Kamra's legal representative, claimed that the petition was designed to hinder ongoing legal proceedings in the Supreme Court, where Kamra is challenging the notification of a government fact-check unit under the IT Rules 2023.
The court expressed doubts about the petition's relevance and stated that the petitioner had the authority to approach the nodal officer to have such content removed from social media platforms. Additionally, the court indicated that existing rules under the IT Act provided remedies for dealing with such breaches of law.
The court also underscored the fact that the MLA Kiran Samant was himself a lawmaker and had the power to take necessary action against such content, hence dismissing the petition.
Accordingly, the court conceded Samant the rights to approach the Ministry of Information & Technology for disclosure of information regarding the measures they have undertaken in accordance with the IT Act for the enforcement of these rules.
- Free Speech
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The Bombay High Court on April 30, 2025, dismissed a petition filed by Shiv Sena MLA Kiran Samant targeting Kunal Kamra for allegedly posting content undermining judicial dignity[1][2][3]. The court questioned the selective targeting of Kamra, noting the petition did not implicate others making similar remarks about the judiciary[1][2].
Key aspects of the case:- Petition claims: Alleged Kamra systematically posted "contemptuous, misleading, and derogatory" content against courts and judges, exploiting free speech for financial gain[1][3].- Court's rationale: Highlighted existing legal mechanisms under the IT Act (2009 rules) for content blocking, rendering the PIL unnecessary[2][3]. Rejected demands for a "social media vigilance committee" as a policy matter[3].- Related developments: Kamra separately secured arrest protection on April 25, 2025, in an unrelated FIR involving a parody song targeting Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde[4].
- The Bombay High Court dismissed a petition filed by Shiv Sena MLA Kiran Samant, focusing on Kunal Kamra, who was alleged to have disparaged the judicial system for fame and financial gain through his digital content and comedy shows.
- The court expressed concerns over the selective targeting of Kamra, as countless others have also criticized the judiciary on digital platforms without being mentioned in the petition.
- In the petition, examples of Kamra's activities from social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and his stand-up comedy shows were cited as instances of Kamra undermining the courts and judges with the intention of promoting chaos.
- Senior Advocate Darius Khambata, Kamra's legal representative, argued that the petition was designed to hinder ongoing legal proceedings in the Supreme Court, where Kamra is challenging the notification of a government fact-check unit under the IT Rules 2023.
- The court underscored the fact that MLA Kiran Samant, as a lawmaker, had the power to take necessary action against such content and dismissed the petition.
- Subsequently, the court granted Samant the rights to approach the Ministry of Information & Technology for disclosure of information regarding the measures they have undertaken in accordance with the IT Act for the enforcement of these rules.
