Munawar Faruqui case co-accused now works as a laborer
Nalin Yadav loved spreading smiles through his comedy shows but an incident earlier this year upended his life, so much so that he is now forced to work as a laborer to make ends meet. Yadav was involved in the infamous case of comedian Munawar Faruqui, where they were accused of hurting religious sentiments and subsequently sent to jail over the allegations. Here's more.
Yadav spent nearly two months in jail
In January, Yadav, Faruqui, and a few others were arrested for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by making indecent jokes about Hindu deities during a comedy show in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Yadav spent 57 days in an Indore jail before being granted bail on February 26. The complaint against them was filed by Eklavya Singh Gaur, the son of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.
'Left with nothing to do but petty jobs'
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Yadav said, "In my childhood, friends and neighbors used to say I have a very good sense of humor and I have the talent to make people laugh. I took these words very seriously and decided to become a comedian." He, however, added, "Today I am left with nothing but to do petty jobs to make ends meet."
Yadav said people supported him earlier
Yadav said that even when he was in jail, he did not feel depressed because of the support from his friends. "I lost my father a few years ago and mother four months ago but my friends, relatives, and neighbors showered immense love on me and my 17-year-old brother Akash. We never felt alone," he told the publication.
'Hardly anyone called me after my bail'
Yadav, however, revealed that since he came out of jail, nobody reached out to him. He said that when he contacted cafe owners in Indore for work, they requested him to stop calling them. "In the past 25 days, hardly anyone called me to know my condition. Neighbors saw me as if I am a dreaded criminal or some obscene person (sic)," he said.
'My hard work went in vain over a fake complaint'
Reportedly, Yadav now works as a laborer at an industrial area in Pithampur of Dhar district in MP. "My younger brother is also doing a private job to restart life," he stated. "My whole hard work went in vain because a few people got confused and lodged a fake complaint without any proof," he was quoted as saying.