Bollywood singer Angarag Mahanta, popularly known as Papon, landed in a controversy after a video showing him kissing a minor girl went viral. The singer, who hails from Assam, is seen smearing colour on the face of the girl and then kissing her.
The girl is one of the contestants in a music reality show in which Papon is a judge.
Reacting to the incident, many prominent Bollywood celebrities took to Twitter to condemn the singer’s behaviour. Some of them demanded that he be arrested for his action.
Raveena Tandon, who is a former chairperson of the Children’s Film Society of India, called Papon’s behaviour with the minor “disgusting”, “shameful” and “perverse”.
Disgusting! Shameful!Perverse! This man Papon should be arrested ! The girls parents succumbing to pressure ! The explanations given are ridiculous! Haven’t felt such anger and shame to see this happen and some on tv debates actually defending the act !
— Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) February 23, 2018
Gauhar Khan, too, joined in the voice questioning the singer’s statement in which he blamed “faulty camera angles”.
Wasn’t smothering a child’s face with your palm rubbing color all over it for 4 secs enough as fatherly love, that u had to pull the child’s face then to strategically peck her on the lip??? There was no wrong camera angle or the child moving her face mistakenly BTW 🙄😡#papon👎
— Gauahar Khan (@GAUAHAR_KHAN) February 23, 2018
“If anybody behaved with my daughter the way #Papon did with the teenage girl I would slap him several times in such a way that no one dared behave that way again,” said Suchitra Krishnamoorthi.
If anybody behaved with my daughter the way #Papon did with the teenage girl I would slap him several times in such a way that no one dared behave that way again
— Suchitra Krishnamoorthi (@suchitrak) February 23, 2018
Calling the singer “Papi Papon”, Subramanian Swamy said that Papon can be “prosecuted for rape” under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
Paapi Popon can be prosecuted for rape. Under POCSO, even touching an under 18 yr girl is rape
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) February 23, 2018
Writers, media personalities and politicians, too, voiced their outrage against Papon.
You’re a celebrity.
The child is a contestant who’s looking to get a toehold in your industry.
You CAN’T grab and kiss her.
EVEN if that’s your idea of affection #Papon— Padmaja joshi (@PadmajaJoshi) February 23, 2018
A sleeping man’s foot touched Zaira Wasim, He apologized her on the spot but still facing Molestation charges. A little girl never gave her consent, #Papon literally forced himself on her. But in this case, some people supporting Papon. What if Zaira & Papon were not Celebrities?
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) February 23, 2018
Extremely shameful #Papon. We can’t have sexual predators preying on our children.
We can do without a singer but surely can’t do without the safety & dignity of our children.
Book him under POCSO Act.
#DontSparePapon https://t.co/0uDPBD4ton
— Gaurav Bhatia BJP (@gauravbh) February 23, 2018
Papon’s act is indefensible. I’m frankly a little shocked some are actually finding ways to defend it. Speechless even..
— Nupur (@UnSubtleDesi) February 23, 2018
I just want to ask 1 question to #Papon @paponmusic
What will be your reaction, if ever your wife performs at any event in front of a judge aged 55 aprx, nd he is impressed with her Performance nd kisses her the same way??
wl dat b considered a fatherly kiss??
— Rohit Jaiswal (@rohitjswl01) February 23, 2018
Papon may label it as his idea of affection for his mentees but his was clearly a bad touch and made the child uncomfortable. He only stopped when he was told that the act was being relayed on Facebook live. His reaction hints that he’s a serial offender.
— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) February 23, 2018
Sexual abuse cannot be ignored in the name of fatherly love or liberal society. What #Papon did is a legit case of child sexual abuse. Not only he, but the adults who stood around being silent accomplices of this abuse should be tried for this crime.
— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) February 23, 2018
On Friday, 23 February, Supreme Court lawyer Runa Bhuyan filed a complaint with National Commission for Protection of Child Rights against Papon. The singer has been booked under POCSO as it is a case of assaulting a minor girl.
Read More: Singer Papon booked under POCSO for allegedly molesting a minor
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), too, issued a notice to both singer Papon and a TV entertainment channel after a video emerged of the singer inappropriately kissing a minor girl.
“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,” an official said.
Calling himself an “extremely affectionate and expressive” person, Papon claimed that “both of our families are being destroyed forever” because of the controversy surrounding the matter.
“Not to say I haven’t made a mistake. I might have done it spontaneously but in today’s environment, to touch a girl child, however innocent your thoughts are, is not advisable. I am sorry for that,” he wrote in his statement, which he uploaded on Twitter.
He said that he can be called “naive and stupid” for the “accidental move” which he claimed was “not a sexual assault”.
Meanwhile, MoS Women and Child welfare, Vidya Thakur, has reportedly directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner to investigate the incident.