FIR against Shekhar Suman, TV channel

An FIR has been registered against Shekhar Suman and a TV channel.

Mumbai: An FIR has been registered against Sony entertainment television, actor Shekhar Suman, comedienne Bharti Singh and a scriptwriter, for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of a community in a comedy show aired by the TV channel, police said today.

According to police, a representative from Raza Academy, a Muslims body, lodged the complaint alleging that a joke was cracked in the show `Comedy Circus` that was insulting towards the religion. The FIR under IPC sections 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) was registered against the channel, Suman, Singh and the scriptwriter yesterday, Pydhonie Police Station Senior Inspector Pathan Samsher said. Raza Academy`s representatives have also approached Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil, who assured them to look into the issue. The recorded version of the joke was also shown to the minister. Singh in an episode of Comedy Circus, aired last week allegedly took a dig at a Quranic verse, with Suman repeating the same, police said. Police would see that recorded version and take appropriate action against the person or organisation concerned, said Pathan. PTI