The Mumbai police last week registered an FIR against a rapper and called him in for questioning in connection with a song that allegedly "targeted politicians". This is the second case in a week in which the police have booked a rapper, the first being lodged by the Ambernath police against another person on similar charges. An officer said that on Friday the Wadala TT police booked rapper Umesh Khade who goes by the name 'Shambho'. The FIR followed a complaint by the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the Mumbai police after Khade's song 'Janta bhongli keli (You made citizens naked)’ went viral on social media. The song talks about the selfishness of politicians and the common people’s suffering. उमेश खाडे आणि राज मुंगसे ह्यांना पोलिसांनी आत टाकून संविधान पायदळी तुडवले दोघे बहुजन समाजातले व्यवस्थे विरुद्ध बोलले काय चूक केली म्हणे गाण्यात शिव्या आहेत … बहुजन समाजाला शिव्या काय नवीन आहेत .. आणि कोण म्हणते हे … पोलिस पोलिस स्टेशन ला तुकोबाचे अभंग म्हणतात का … तुझ्या… pic.twitter.com/KnBk1lqTsB — Dr.Jitendra Awhad (@Awhadspeaks) April 7, 2023 Sources said a crime branch team tracked down Khade and produced him before the Wadala TT police on Thursday. Khade was questioned at the station on Thursday night and was later allowed to go on the condition that would join the police investigation whenever he is summoned. According to sources, Khade told the police that he had not named anyone in the song and it was just about the plight of the common man. The FIR was registered under IPC sections 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes), and section 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the IT Act, 2000. Following the incident, NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad tweeted, "Khade and his parents were detained at the Wadala police station. There is nothing offensive in this song. He has not named anyone. He has spoken about his poverty in this song. Now, if expressing your grievances is a crime, then arrest everyone who goes to work and vents their angst while travelling.” Two days prior to this FIR, Ambernath police registered an FIR against one Raj Mungase after a song targeting Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction went viral. The complaint was filed by a Yuva Sena core committee member. The police are on the lookout for Mungase who has been on the run.
