Dera Head case: Bombay HC grants anticipatory bail to comedian Ali

Mumbai, January 15

Actor-comedian Ali Asgar against whom a case was filed for spoofing self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was on Friday granted anticipatory bail by the Bombay High Court.

Justice Ajey Gadkari granted Ali bail on a surety of Rs 25,000 for a week by when the comedian will have to approach a court in Haryana where the FIR has been lodged against him and seven others.

Ali approached the high court after the arrest of his colleague Kiku Sharda by the Punjab and Haryana police after a case under Section 295 (A) (act intended to outrage religious feelings) of IPC was registered against them.

“I am a law-abiding citizen of India, a resident of Mumbai. I have never come to the adverse notice of any law enforcement agency,” said Ali, a comedian known for his role as the character Dadi in a TV show, in his plea.

Ali, along with Kiku, had enacted a skit on a programme titled ‘Jashn-e-Ummed’ aired in December last year following which a follower of Ram Rahim lodged an FIR in Kaithal, Haryana.

The FIR was filed on January 1 by a follower of the Haryana-based religious sect Dera Sacha Sauda. Besides Sharda and Asgar, it names actors Gaurav

Gera, Rajiv Thakur, Pooja Banerjee, Mouni Roy, Gautam Gulati and Sana Khan “and all known and unknown persons who make or act in the show Jashan-e-Umeed” for portraying their leader in “bad light”.

As per the FIR, the actors were shown dressed as “his holiness and dancing, consuming liquor and seeking donation”.

“No donation is accepted by the Guru and the organisation is strictly against liquor consumption,” the FIR said. — PTI