Maha women panel to quiz show producers

The Maharashtra State Women Rights Commission (MSWRC) today said it would question the producers of a reality TV show in connection with singer Papon kissing a minor contestant during a Facebook live session.

"Security of children is a very serious issue. Thus, we are sending a notice to question the producers of the show on what steps they took to ensure the safety of children who were part of the series," MSWRC chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said.

She said the notice was being sent to the show's producers as the primary responsibility for the safety of the children on the show was theirs. Rahatkar said Papon would also be questioned subsequently. The singer landed in trouble after a lawyer approached the MSWRC with a complaint of sexual assault over the incident.

Papon, however, said he was being "victimised" and that he would "never commit an indecent act".

Supreme Court lawyer Runa Bhuyan filed the complaint with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights against Papon under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act.

A video has gone viral on social media in which Papon is seen planting a kiss on the girl while celebrating Holi with the contestants of the TV show ‘Voice India Kids’. He was one of the judges on the show, but quit it on Saturday.

The singer on Friday said he is “an extremely affectionate and expressive” person and it did not occur to him that showing affection to an 11-year-old child, who he had been mentoring for a while now, would be taken out of context.