The Maharashtra Youth Congress knows how to tackle Raj Thackeray — it is going on an anti-indecency overdrive.
After filing a complaint against Harbhajan Singh for hurting sentiments of its members for playing Ravana in a dance reality show, the youth brigade of the Congress has filed an FIR against three participants of the preposterous reality show Big Boss. The show “bred vulgarity, indecency and indecent representation of women," they told the Andheri police, according to the Indian Express. [Link]
The sordid details:
“We have been briefed by the Andheri police and filed an FIR against three of the show’s participants — Rahul Mahajan, Payal Rohatgi and Sambhavana Seth, who have been accused of behaving in an obscene manner, under Sections 294/34 of the Indian Penal Code. Endemol and Colors have also been charged with telecasting the footage,” said Senior Police Inspector of Lonavala S Darekar. Representatives of the channel remained unavailable for comment despite repeated phone calls.
MYCC President Sunil Ahire and other party members had visited the Andheri police station on October 4 demanding that the police take action against the show’s participants, producers, directors and the channel. However the police had firmly refused to take any step without first viewing the contested footage. “We had expressed a general protest. It was after the police saw the scenes that they themselves registered a case against the participants who were indulging in these acts,” said Ahire.
“We viewed the footage and found that there are some scenes featuring Mahajan, Rohatgi, Seth and Raja Chowdhary which were obscene as the complainant had alleged. While we registered the case, as the location of the show is in Lonavala we will be transferring the case to the police there along with all clips of the scenes which were obscene. While they will be handling the investigation, we will assist them if needed,” said P P Suryavanshi, Senior Police Inspector of Andheri.
Such scenes include Rohatgi and Mahajan shown together in a swimming pool, a massage in progress and a dance by Chowdhary and Seth.
“The Andheri police have given us a couple of CDs while the show has completed 62 episodes. We will call the producers and directors and channel tomorrow asking them to give us the CDs of all the controversial episodes. The evidence will also have to be presented to the court to draw up an arrest warrant. While Rohatgi and Seth will have to be called back as they have left the show, we won’t hesitate to arrest Mahajan from the house if the accusations against him are found true,” said S Darekar, Senior Police Inspector, Lonavla. He added Section 294 is a cognizable but bailable offence.
Congress MP and former Bigg Boss contestant Sanjay Nirupam congratulated the MYCC on their protest. Nirupam, who claimed that he had refused to be a part of the wild card round because he disapproved of the ‘vulgarity and obscenity’ said: “I congratulate the MYCC have not remained quiet on the indecency and I am glad that the law has taken its course. The show is surely not for family viewing and also flaunts national regulations of public viewing.”
