Not everything and everyone is worth laughing over, surely not the “babas”. Comedian Kiku Sharda got to learn this lesson the hard way when he was arrested by Haryana police for mimicking the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, triggering an angry reaction on the social media.
Clearly, Kiku didn’t take the matter seriously even after the registration of an FIR against him. That’s why he didn’t feel it necessary to seek an anticipatory bail which would have obviously saved him from going behind bars.
It was on 27 December that Kiku had mimicked the Sirsa-based guru who has lakhs of followers and is also an actor now with a rock-star image. While the programme “Jashan-e-Umeed” aired on Zee may have intended to make people laugh, some supporters of Gurmeet Ram Rahim felt offended.
The morning after the programme aired, Kaithal residents Dalsher Singh and Uday Singh filed a complaint with the district police superintendent. They alleged that Kiku, dressed “like his holiness (Gurmeet Ram Rahim) is shown dancing with girls, consuming liquor and asking for donation from other actors.” The police not only registered a case under section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code for “hurting” the religious sentiments, but also got Sharda arrested from the middle of his shooting. Sharda was produced before the magistrate who sent him to judicial custody for 14 days.
In the evening, Gurmeet Ram Rahim apparently felt pity on the comedian and tweeted: “I was busy shooting ‘OnlineGurukul’. Just got to know devotees are hurt due to Kiku’s action. If he has apologised, no complaints from my side.”
This made the police accept his bail bond and Kiku was released, only to be detained again by police in Fatehabad, who later released him.