Online Outcry After No Evidence Found Against Comedian Arrested for 'Indecent Remarks on Hindu Gods'

Three days after Munawar Faruqui, a stand-up comedian, was arrested for allegedly insulting Hindu deities, police on Monday claimed there was no evidence to prove that he had made any derogatory remarks. 

The 26-year-old comedian was arrested after Eklavya Singh Gaur, son of a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, accused him of making insulting remarks about Hindu gods, federal minister Amit Shah, and allegedly mocking Kar-sevaks, who were killed in the Godhra massacre in 2002, when 59 people, mainly Hindu pilgrims, were killed in a fire set inside a train.

Besides Faruqui, police have also registered a complaint against his four other associates under sections 269 (unlawful or negligent act likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life), 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), and other related provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

On Sunday, Jenosha Agnes, who claimed to be a member of the show's audience in which Munawar Faruqui was performing on Friday at a cafe in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, took to Instagram and wrote, "Munawar Faruqui made no derogatory remarks at the Indore show".

"As Munawar arrived on the stage, few people with political connections rushed to the stage, snatched the mic, and began saying 'hamare religious sentiments hurt hue hai… Godhra kand per joke kiya… Hamare devi devta ka mazak udaya… Islam pe joke q nahi karta hai (You're making fun of Hindu religion, Godhara massacre. Why don't you make a joke in Islam?)", she wrote.