'Unnecessarily Dragged': Shekhar Suman Reacts After Court Ends 16-Year-Old FIR With Bharti Singh

A long-pending legal matter involving remarks made on a television comedy show has finally been resolved, with the Bombay High Court bringing closure to a case that dates back over a decade.

The court has set aside an FIR filed in 2010 against actor and television host Shekhar Suman and comedian Bharti Singh. The case was linked to an episode of Comedy Circus Ka Jadoo, where certain phrases, including “Ya Allah! Rasgulla! Dahi Bhalla,” were used during a comic act.

The complaint had been lodged by a representative of the Raza Academy, alleging that the remarks made on the Sony TV show were offensive to religious sentiments. Along with Suman and Singh, the channel and a scriptwriter were also named in the case. It was claimed that Singh had made a joke

referencing a Quranic verse, and that Suman had repeated it during the episode aired in November 2010.

After reviewing the matter, Justice Amit Borkar allowed the petitions filed by Suman and Singh, noting that the show was intended as “light entertainment” and should be understood within that context. The court underlined that the use of food-related words in a comedic setting does not amount to insulting religion.

Also Read: FIR Against Bharti Singh Dismissed, Bombay High Court Grants Relief In ‘Insult To Religion’ Case

The bench also observed that for an offence under Section 295-A of the IPC to be established, there must be clear evidence of “deliberate and malicious intent” to hurt religious feelings. It further clarified that the involvement attributed to both artistes was “too remote” to justify prosecution, adding that no material suggested any intentional wrongdoing.

Emphasising how such content should be interpreted, the court said, “A comedy show is not judged by the same standards as a doctrinal speech or a political statement. A performance of this nature is to be read as a whole, and not by selecting stray expressions. Both elements are necessary. If one of them is absent, the offence will not be fully made out”.

The court also raised concerns about the basis of the complaint. It said, “The complaint in question was made by a person who, prima facie, does not appear to have personally viewed the programme, but acted on the basis of representations allegedly received by the Raza Academy from certain persons. It is contended that the FIR bearing C.R. No. 265 of 2010 came to be registered without any preliminary verification of the correctness of the allegations”.

Reacting to the development, Shekhar Suman told Hindustan Times, “I did not even know about it. It was Bharti who had said something innocuously, with no religious connotation. I wasn’t even part of it, but was unnecessarily dragged into the matter to gain publicity.”

He added, “I’m extremely thankful to the honourable judge who trashed the case,” and said the outcome came as a surprise to him. “It came as a surprise. I had long forgotten about it. I wasn’t sent a notice or asked to appear for my stand. Thank God for that. Imagine how some people waste the precious time of court and hassle innocent citizens. Justice prevails.”

With this ruling, the High Court has effectively ended proceedings in a case that had remained unresolved for 16 years, offering relief to the artistes involved.