Mumbai cops book OTT show host Ajaz Khan on obscenity charges

New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) Mumbai Police have slapped charges of indecent representation of women on actor Ajaz Khan on Bajrang Dal’s complaint over alleged vulgar content on his OTT show ‘House Arrest’, an official said on Saturday.

The charges, if proved, may lead to imprisonment of up to three years.

Khan and other makers of the show, that has now been pulled down from Ullu OTT platform, have also been charged under Section 67 of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, that deals with punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form.

In the FIR registered at Amboli Police Station, the Mumbai Police have slapped Khan and others with charges that call for penalising those who publish, transmit, or cause to be published or transmitted, any material that is lascivious, appeals to prurient interest, or tends to deprave and corrupt persons.

The punishment for a first conviction is imprisonment for up to three years and a fine up to Rs 5 lakh, with a more severe penalty of up to five years' imprisonment and a fine up to Rs 10 lakh for second or subsequent convictions.

Khan also faces charges under Section 296 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) that deals with obscene acts and songs and carries a punishment of three months.

The penal provision prohibits performing obscene acts or uttering obscene words or songs in or near public spaces with the intention to annoy others, said an officials,

The FIR against Khan and the OTT platform’s officials also invoked Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.

The Section 4 of the Act prohibits the production, sale, distribution, or sending by post of any book, pamphlet, paper, slide, film, writing, drawing, painting, photograph, representation, or figure containing indecent representation of women. It carries a maximum punishment of three years.

Mumbai Police have also ensured that the OTT platform’s decision makers are not let off lightly. The FIR has invoked Section 7 of IRWA.

This Section says that where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company, every person, who, at the time the offence was committed, was in charge of, and was responsible to, the company for the conduct of the business of the company, as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly: Also made to face the consequences.

On Friday, the National Commission for Women (NCW) summoned the CEO of Ullu OTT platform CEO Vibhu Agarwal and Khan on May 9 in connection with alleged obscene content.

After massive backlash over the objectionable content and concerns raised by an women’s group, the OTT platform took down the show.

Maharashtra BJP Mahila Morcha President Chitra Wagh demanded a ban on the reality series, calling it "nothing but the epitome of vulgarity."

--IANS

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