India, April 25 -- The Bombay High Court on Friday admitted a petition filed by comedian Kunal Kamra, seeking the quashing of a first information report (FIR) lodged against him for allegedly defaming Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde during a show in February.

Kamra's petition in the Bombay High Court, filed on April 5, challenged the "legality and propriety" of the FIR registered by Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MLA Murji Patel.

A division bench of justice Sarang Kotwal and justice SM Modak directed the police to refrain from arresting Kamra while the petition is pending. The court also instructed the trial court not to take cognisance of any charge-sheet that may be filed by the Khar police against him.

Kamra had uploaded...