Indore: The Indore district court on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of the four men who were arrested along with stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui until February 24.
Faruqui, the main accused, was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on February 5. A minor who was also among those arrested had got bail earlier.
A prosecution official said that Nalin Yadav (25), Sadaqat Khan (23), Edwin Anthony (25) and Prakhar Vyas (23) who are lodged in the Central Jail here were produced before a chief judicial magistrate (CJM) via a video conference.
Co-accused Sadaqat Khan’s bail plea was rejected for the second time on Wednesday by an Indore sessions court, according to LiveLaw. Additional sessions judge Yatindra Guru said the circumstances remain unchanged despite Faruqui being granted interim bail by the Supreme Court. In his bail plea, Khan had written he should get bail on the basis of “judicial parity”, citing the Supreme Court order granting bail to Faruqui.
Faruqui (32) and five others, including a minor, were arrested following a complaint by Eklavya Singh Gaud, son of local BJP MLA Malini Laxman Singh Gaud.
The MLA’s son alleged that objectionable comments were made about Hindu deities and Union home minister Amit Shah during Faruqui’s comedy show here on January 1.
Police later admitted that the comedian’s act did not even start, but justified his arrest on the claims that he was ‘going to’ make these jokes.
The prosecution officer, meanwhile, also said that Faruqui had moved an application before the CJM’s court on Wednesday seeking exemption from personal appearance. The court granted him the exemption.
The sessions court had rejected Khan’s first bail application earlier on Tuesday. Bail pleas of remaining three accused are pending before different courts.
(With PTI inputs)