Munawar Faruqui walks free after SC grants bail to him

Comedian Munawar Faruqui was released from Indore Central Jail late evening on Saturday after the Supreme Court granted him ad-interim bail in a case of alleged hurting of religious sentiments case.

Initially, the jail authorities refused to release him citing "lack of clarity" on a UP court's production warrant.

A two-judge bench of Justices Rohinton Fali Nariman and BR Gavai Friday stayed the Madhya Pradesh High Court order refusing bail to Faruqui.

The bench also stayed the UP court's production warrant against Faruqui.

Faruqui was arrested on 1 January 2021, along with four others, for allegedly cracking "indecent" and "vulgar" jokes about Hindu gods.

The complainant was Eklavya Singh Gaud, son of a BJP legislator and convenor of the Hindu Rakshak Sangathan.