Whole experience traumatic, sad: Kiku

Fatehabad (Haryana), Jan 14: Comedian Kiku Sharda, released on bail after being arrested twice for mimicking Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, says the whole experience was "traumatic" and "sad".

Best known for his drag act as Palak in popular TV show "Comedy Nights With Kapil", Kiku, 40, was first arrested from Mumbai yesterday by Haryana Police after Dera followers registered a case against him in Fatehabad and Kaithal districts on December 31 under section 295-A (hurting religious sentiments). He termed the action as something that was never expected.

"The experience was traumatic and sad. It was quite sudden," he said. Kiku asserted that his intention was not to hurt any religious group or anybody.

"When the intention is clear, it's sad the way things had to happen where I had to suddenly go to Haryana and get a bail from the court. If we look at it procedurally, we don't need to do it suddenly. The way it unfolded was unfortunate," he said.

He said summons weren't issued to him. "If I had the summons in my hand, I probably would have given it to my lawyer and I would have moved. I was informed on Twitter that there is some case filed against me, which I also somehow didn't take very seriously because I thought maybe someone was trying to scare me on Twitter. So, I didn't really check. I wish I had," he said.

He has been maintaining that he is an artist and "presented the programme on the directions of the TV channel and programme producers".

There was high drama yesterday as Kiku was sent to 14-day judicial custody after police produced him before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Nandita Kaushik in Kaithal. But hours after his remand, the court granted him bail in the evening on furnishing a bail bond of Rs one lakh.

However, as Kiku was on his way to Delhi shortly after his release on bail, a team of Haryana Police arrested him again at Fatehabad where a separate case was registered against him also under Section 295 A (hurting religious sentiments) of IPC.

Police had late last night said that Kiku would be produced in a Fatehabad court today, but since he joined investigations at Kaithal last night and nothing was found against him he was released after some time.

Station House Officer Fatehabad, Dinesh Kumar said, "After forming a team we reached Kaithal and we asked Kiku to join the investigation. During investigation we found the allegations were not true and released Kiku after he assured that he will join investigation even in future."

PTI