“Ya Allah! Rasgulla!” Joke Lacked Malicious Intent, Says Bombay High Court While Quashing FIR

The Bombay High Court quashed a 2010 FIR registered against comedian Bharti Singh and actor Shekhar Suman over the phrase “Ya Allah! Rasgulla! Dahi Bhalla!” used during the comedy show Comedy Circus Ka Jadoo.

Justice Amit Borkar held that the performance lacked any deliberate or malicious intent to insult religious sentiments, which is essential to attract an offence under Section 295A IPC.

The Court observed that comedy shows must be viewed in their proper entertainment context and cautioned against casually invoking criminal law against artists.

It further stated that merely feeling offended does not automatically amount to a criminal offence.

[Shekhar Suman v. State of Maharashtra]