The Mumbai police have registered an FIR against actor Ajaz Khan, producer Rajkumar Pandey and others for alleged obscene content in their web show 'House Arrest'.
An official at the Amboli police station in Mumbai told PTI that a complaint was lodged by Gautam Ravriya, an activist of Bajrang Dal and based on that the police have registered a case against actor Ajaz Khan, producer Rajkumar Pandey of the web show 'House Arrest' and other persons from Ullu app.
The web show, hosted by Khan, is streamed on the Ullu app. The streaming platform pulled out the show on Friday after the controversy snowballed.
What Does The Complaint Say?
As per the complaint, the web show contained obscene language, and the acts performed in the show insulted the modesty of women, he said.
"The complainant mentioned that he received several complaints about the vulgar content of the show and that many people sent personal messages to him to complain about it," he added.
The producer and the host of 'House Arrest' have been charged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology Act and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, the official said.
What Did The Web Show Feature?
In the video clips of the web show that have gone viral on social media, Khan is seen putting pressure on contestants, including women, to act out intimate situations.
He also asks the participants some vulgar questions.
Reaction
Maharashtra BJP MLC Chitra Wagh on Thursday, demanded an immediate ban on 'House Arrest', alleging its content is obscene and harmful to society, especially to children.
She also urged Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw to take strict action against mobile applications that promote such content.
Speaking out against the show, Wagh stated, "Ajaz Khan, who calls himself an actor, has created a show called 'House Arrest', which is nothing but the epitome of obscenity. Clips from this show, streamed on the Ullu app, are now circulating freely on social media, and they are extremely vulgar."
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has summoned Ullu CEO Vibhu Agarwal and Khan, a former "Bigg Boss" contestant, after taking suo motu cognisance of the controversy and expressed strong condemnation over its content.
"Viral clips show women being coerced into intimate acts on camera. NCW slams the platform for promoting vulgarity & violating consent," it said in a post on X.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi shared a clip from the show on her X handle on Thursday and asked why content apps producing such "obscene content" are not banned.
"I have raised this in the standing committee that apps such as this, namely, Ullu App and Alt Balaji have managed to escape the ban by I&B ministry on apps for obscene content. I am still awaiting their reply," she wrote.
