Comedian Kiku Sharda, best known for his drag act as Palak in popular TV show Comedy Nights With Kapil, was on Wednesday arrested by Haryana police on a complaint alleging he hurt religious sentiments by mimicking Dera Sacha Sauda sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Kiku was sent to 14-day judicial custody after police produced him before the court of Nandita Kaushik, Chief Judicial Magistrate in Kaithal.

He was arrested from Mumbai by the Haryana police. Kiku was booked on December 31 under Section 295 A of the Indian Penal Code (outraging religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious belief).

A case was registered on the complaint of one Uday Singh, the follower of Dera Sacha Sauda, police said.

Kiku apologised and said that he was an artist and “presented the programme on the directions of the channel and programme producers”.

“I was given a dress, script to read and directed to act,” he said, adding that he had been booked in this case but no action was taken against others, including the TV channel.

‘Law will take its own course’

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the State government has nothing to do with the arrest of Kiku.

“It is a matter of law and order. An FIR has been registered and police will take action accordingly,” he told reporters in Chandigarh. “The law will take its own course.”