The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Friday issued a notice to singer Angarag Papon Mahanta and the channel & TV after a video emerged of the singer inappropriately kissing a minor girl.
A Supreme Court lawyer on Thursday filed a complaint with the child rights panel against Papon in connection with the video that went viral on social media.
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“We have seen the video and have gone through the written complaint which came to us from Supreme Court lawyer Runa Bhuyan. We felt this is a provocative case. Necessary legal action will be taken,” the NCPCR official said.
Also read: Trouble mounts for Papon as Maharashtra govt takes cognizance of singer’s alleged kissing row
“We are following the legal procedure. We will ask for their version as well and accordingly further action will be taken. We have guidelines on our website which clearly mentions rules for channels using children in their show,” added the official.
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The Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) has also filed a case against the singer.
Even though the girl’s father has made a statement supporting Papon saying that the singer didn’t have any despicable intention, ASCPCR has maintained that the case against him is still on.
“It is important to teach kids the difference between good touch and bad touch. Maybe, the girl and her father didn’t realize at that point that she was being touched inappropriately,” Sunita Changkakati, Chairperson of ASCPCR told Northeast Now.
“We have examined the video and think that Papon’s behaviour was not acceptable and what he did comes under bad touch. So we took a suo motu cognizance of the case of Papon and wrote to the Commissioner of Police seeking an enquiry into the incident,” she added.
Also read: SC lawyer files complaint against singer Papon for ‘inappropriately kissing’ minor girl
Guwahati Police Commissioner Hiren Ch Nath said, “We have received the complaint. It is yet to be decided in which police station the complaint will be filed as the act has not been done in Assam. Most probably the complaint will be registered at Dispur Police Station as ASCPCR which wrote the letter to the police falls under the jurisdiction of Dispur Police. After registering the complaint against Papon, he will be issued a notice to appear for further investigation.”
Meanwhile facing massive backlash for his act, Papon on Saturday stepped down from his role as judge of the reality show, Voice of India Kids aired by & Tv, where the minor is a contestant.
Also read: Papon video controversy: Now, Assam child rights panel to register suo motu case
Papon took to Twitter to announce his decision. “Since I am in no mental state to fulfil most of my professional obligations, I have decided to step down as a judge on the show till the matter in which I have been falsely implicated is fully resolved and the investigations are over. I have full faith in the judicial system and eventually the truth wil prevail. In the interim, I would appreciate that my privacy is respected,” twitted the singer.