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Actor Kiku Sharda, known for his comic role in popular TV show Comedy Nights with Kapil, was on Wednesday arrested, granted bail, released, arrested and released yet again for the same offence by the Haryana police.
Booked and arrested by the Haryana police following a complaint that he spoofed controversial godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, Kiku was sent to 14 days judicial custody on Wednesday by a court in Haryana’s Kaithal town, hours after his arrest in Mumbai.
Station House Officer Dinesh Kumar revealed Thursday that Kiku has been released by the Haryana police after being questioned.
The actor was on Wednesday evening released on a surety bond of Rs 1 lakh by the Kaithal court and his release was ordered. He was arrested again by the Haryana Police, this time from Fatehabad district (near Hisar), for the same offence. After questioning, he has been released, again.
Read: If Kiku Sharda Has Apologised I’m Okay: Ram Rahim ‘Forgives’
The complaints were filed against Kiku by followers of the sect, a Haryana police officer said.
Haryana police officerHe (Kiku) was booked for hurting the religious sentiments of the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda sect. There were two complaints, one in Kaithal and another in Fatehabad, against him.
Kiku and eight others involved with the show Jashn-E-Ummeed were booked by the Haryana Police on January 1 on charges of outraging the religious feelings of a class by insulting its religion or religious belief under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Kiku was arrested by a Haryana Police team while he was shooting for another show in Mumbai early on Wednesday.
He was brought to Kaithal town in Haryana, 135 km from Chandigarh, on Wednesday by the police and produced before a court which sent him to judicial custody for 14 days.
Kiku was accused by sect follower Uday Singh of dressing up like Gurmeet Ram Rahim and mimicking the self-proclaimed godman.
Uday SinghIn the show (‘Jashn-E-Ummeed’), he (Kiku) was shown dressed up like our respected guruji. He was shown with liquor and dancing with two girls. He did a mockery of guruji. Whosoever saw it, their feelings were hurt.
The show aired on December 27. Kiku had apologised via Twitter on the same day, even before a complaint was filed.
Kapil Sharma, the host of Comedy Nights with Kapil also took to Twitter to react to this controversy.
Ram Rahim has himself acted in two films – MSG: The Messenger and MSG 2-The Messenger. Both films were produced by Ram Rahim and his sect.
Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana Chief MinisterThe government has no role. A complaint was filed with the police and action followed. The police will act as per law. It is a thing of law and order. But we want to assure you that no one will be victimised unnecessarily.
Bhagwant Mann, an actor-comedian and Aam Aadmi Party MP, told media persons that not much should be read into the whole issue.
Bhagwant MannThe aim of the artistes is to entertain. They do mimicry of big artistes. I don’t think there was any need to arrest him (Kiku). I am very surprised (that this happened).
Also read: Twitter Slams Kiku Sharda’s Arrest for Mimicking Gurmeet Singh
(With agency inputs)
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