Top Mumbai cop’s ‘procedure, rules’ reminder to Kunal Kamra’s venue security question

A day after stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra publicly questioned whether the Mumbai Police would step in if his shows in the city were disrupted, a senior IPS officer said the comedian has not approached the police over any threats or sought protection.

The police also said that anyone fearing disruptions can seek police protection, but such requests cannot be considered based on social media posts. A senior IPS officer said, "Firstly, for an indoor show, there is no permission needed from the police, so that question does not concern us." He added, "As far as the issue of him apprehending a disturbance to his show, as per procedure, he can write to the police station, and based on our findings of the threat perception, we will decide on the issue.

However, merely posting such things on social media cannot amount to anything. The rules are the same for everyone." The IPS officer was responding to Kunal Kamra’s post on X on Sunday, where he sought to know when he can perform in the city next and if the police would uphold the law if it is disrupted.

"For all who keep asking when I will be performing in Mumbai next: I have that same question for @MumbaiPolice. When can I perform my stand-up in the entertainment capital? I understand that my previous work has caused some amount of administrative excitement over the years.

I also appreciate that the Mumbai Police has many important responsibilities—maintaining law and order, preventing crime, managing traffic, watching India’s Got Latent and, occasionally, deciding whether I am allowed to tell jokes in a room," Kamra said.

"All I’m asking is if 40-50 humourless people turn up to cancel/disrupt the show or harm the venue, will you allow the hecklers to exercise their veto? Will a mob of people who didn’t buy tickets to actually come watch my show get to decide what freedom allows?" the comedian asked.

"Actually it’s down to just one question, are you with the mob or are you with law?" In March 2025, at his “Naya Bharat” show at The Habitat comedy club, Kunal Kamra performed a parody song referring to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a "gaddar" (traitor), triggering a controversy.

After his performance, some Shiv Sena workers vandalised the venue before it the Mumbai civic body ran a bulldozer over it. Kamra hasn’t performed in Mumbai ever since Mohamed Thaver is a highly specialized journalist with the Expertise and Authority required to report on complex law enforcement and legal issues.

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