Case filed against Papon after video of him kissing a minor girl in a reality show went viral
Highlights
- Papon has been charged for "inappropriately kissing" minor contestant
- He has quit the children reality show, saying "truth will prevail"
- Contestant's father has called Papon a "father figure" to his daughter
On a day a police case was registered against Papon for "inappropriately kissing" a contestant in a children's reality show, the singer-composer quit the show, saying "truth will prevail".
"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," the 41-year-old singer from Assam said in a tweet.
On Saturday, the Guwahati police lodged a case against him after a complaint from the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
"The alleged accused person will be called and he will be interrogated. Lawful action will be taken" said Moneesh Mishra, Deputy Commissioner of Police, East, Guwahati.
"I have full faith in the judicial system and eventually the truth will prevail", the singer said.
Papon, who is a mentor and judge on 'Voice India Kids', was caught on a Facebook livestream smearing Holi colours on an 11-year-old girl, grabbing her face and kissing her. As outrage grew after the video went viral, Papon apologised yesterday but sought to blame the controversy on "faulty camera angles and an accidental move".
"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," said Papon.
Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Vidya Thakur, who spoke to the Mumbai police commissioner last night about the incident, has ordered a probe.
Supreme Court lawyer Runa Bhuyan has filed a complaint with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights against Papon, saying that the singer has "committed sexual assault".
In a statement issued on Friday evening, Papon said he was an "extremely affectionate and expressive" person.
"To show affection for an 11-year old child who I have been mentoring for a while now is not an alien concept for me," he said.
The contestant's father sided with Papon, calling him a "father figure" to his daughter.
"What you saw in the video is not intentional. It was just a moment of affection that is being portrayed otherwise," he said.
Papon is known for his popular numbers from Hindi films such as
Barfi!,
Befikre,
Sultan, and
Dum Laga Ke Haisha among others.