Bengaluru Police have registered a suo motu case against Mohan Gowda, State Organiser of the Hindu Rashtra Samanvaya Samithi, for allegedly spreading false and misleading information on social media regarding the cancellation of comedian Kunal Kamra's stand-up shows in the city.
The FIR was registered by Whitefield Police based on a complaint filed by Police Constable Shridhar, who was on social media monitoring duty. According to the complaint, Gowda uploaded a video on his X account allegedly disseminating false and misleading information to the public about the comedian's performances.
Police alleged that Gowda's videos and posts were intended to spread rumours and false information with the intention of causing harm. A case has been registered under Sections 217 and 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and further investigation is underway.
The case comes days after the Hindu Rashtra Samanvaya Samithi submitted a memorandum to Bengaluru Police seeking the cancellation of Kamra's stand-up comedy shows in the city.
In the memorandum, signed by Mohan Gowda and Sundresh Nargal, the organisation claimed that the proposed event could pose a threat to law and order and communal harmony. It alleged that Kamra had mocked Hindu beliefs and made controversial remarks during a recent performance in Delhi, hurting the sentiments of members of the Hindu community.
The organisation urged the police to cancel the event, strengthen security arrangements around the venue and initiate legal action if any derogatory content was presented during the performances.
Kamra's show, titled Standing Up, was scheduled to be held between August 3 and 6 at URU in Whitefield.
The venue was later changed to the Underground Comedy Club in Koramangala, which saw Karnataka State Reserve Police personnel and Bengaluru City Police deployed outside the venue, with barricades erected at the entrance and security checks conducted for every attendee.
Audience members attending one of the shows on August 2 were required to pass through police barricades and undergo frisking before entering the venue.