Bollywood singer Papon in soup for kissing minor girl 'inappropriately', complaint lodged under POSCO
The incident reportedly took place during the shoot of a Holi celebration on the sets of a Hindi singing reality show where the girl is among the contestants.
Published: 23rd February 2018 02:00 PM | Last Updated: 23rd February 2018 04:24 PM | A+A A-
Singer Papon (File Photo)
NEW DELHI: Well-known Bollywood singer Papon has landed in a soup as a complaint against him was filed with the national child right’s body under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO) on Friday for “inappropriately kissing a minor girl”.
Sources in the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights said that a Supreme Court lawyer Runa Bhuyan, approached the Commission with the complaint after a video- originally posted by the singer on his Facebook page that showed him kissing a minor girl during a pre-Holi party, went viral.
Papon is a judge on Reality TV show Voice of India Kids 2018 on & TV and the video was filmed on February 20 which shows him celebrating Holi with a bunch of kids, supposedly contestants of the show. It shows him kissing a minor girl on lips towards the end, leaving her stunned.
“We have received the complaint and the matter is under examination at the moment but prima facie it does look like the singer is at fault,” G Monanty, media-advisor, NCPCR told The New Indian Express.
He added that a notice will be sent to both the singer and the Tv channel to explain the incident within a stipulated time.
The complainant – in a letter addressed to the chairperson of the National Commission For Protection of Child Rights – alleged that a viral video featuring Papon “has objectionable contents violating bodily integrity amounting into sexual assault on a minor girl”.
“I am shocked to see the behaviour of the singer towards a minor girl where he is seen to be applying colors on a minor girl and inappropriately kissing the said girl. On seeing the video, I am seriously concerned regarding the safety and security of minor girls participating in reality shows across India," the complaint added.
The child rights’ body, on several occasions, has issued comprehensive guidelines to entertainment channels that make it clear that no child should be cast in a role or a situation that is inappropriate to the child or that may put him/her in embarrassing situation.
“Consideration has to be given to the child’s age, maturity, emotion or physical development and sensitivity,” the guidelines say.
