India is fighting the deadly COVID-19 for more than a year now. While the common man has the 'privilege' of staying safe at home, doctors and frontline workers like medical staff, police, BMC staff etc are relentlessly working day in and out to make sure every citizen is healthy. As our heart and gratitude go out to them, comedian Sunil Pal landed in trouble for allegedly making defamatory comments against doctors who are treating COVID-19 patients in hospitals. 

A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against Sunil by the Andheri police on Tuesday after Dr Sushmita Bhatnagar, head of the Association of Medical Consultants, filed a complaint. According to Dr Bhatnagar, Sunil, in a video on social media, made derogatory comments against doctors.  

Recommended Read: Dalip Tahil’s son Dhruv arrested by Mumbai Police for possession of drugs

Dr Bhatnagar further accused Sunil of making objectionable comments against frontline health workers in India. According to reports, the stand-up comedian, in the video said, "Doctors are a form of God, but 90 per cent of the doctors have taken an evil form, and are fraud. Poor people are being scared in the name of COVID all day, they are humiliated and harassed by saying there are no beds, no plasma, no medicine, no this, no that." 

The Andheri police booked Sunil under IPC sections 505-II (statement conducting mischief) and 500 (punishment for defamation). Further investigation was underway. Talking to a leading daily, Sunil said, "I apologised to those doctors who felt bad by my statement. I am ready to apologise to the court as well. I was only expressing what I am hearing from people around me."

(Source: Inputs From PTI/The Indian Express)