Recently, Ekta Kapoor, a popular TV and film producer, has found herself in serious legal trouble. This is connected to her digital platform, ALT Balaji, which streamed a web series called Gandi Baat. Let’s find out what this case is all about and why it’s putting her in trouble.
What Is the POCSO Case?
The POCSO (Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences) Act is a law in India created for sexual harassment and sexual exploitation. It guarantees that any offenses of sexual abuse of children below the age of 18 are highly prosecuted and the culprit meets the legal consequences.
Ekta Kapoor, a producer for movies and television shows, had streaming service ALT Balaji show a web series with scenes depicting the sexual exploitation of minor girls. As a result of this, the series has now been dragged to courts and the Mumbai Police are likely to serve notice to Ekta. And her mother Shobha Kapoor, who is also involved in the company. The police are also looking for the girls shown in the scenes to seek their side of the story and help record statements.
About POCSO Act
The POCSO Act is specifically designed to protect children from any form of sexual exploitation. This means that anyone under 18 is considered a minor, and any kind of sexual assault, harassment, or child pornography involving minors is strictly punished under this law. Ekta Kapoor was also involved in a controversy in April 2021 where a complaint was laid against one of the episodes from the show Gandi Baat which is a web series that airs on ALT Balaji. According to the molestation complaint, this episode had obscene material that involved minor girls. And although this particular episode is no longer on air and is no longer available to watch on repeat, it was enough to get Ekta Kapoor into legal trouble.
How can it affect Ekta Kapoor?
Ekta Kapoor and her mother are accused of violation of sections of Indian law. First, they are given cases relating to Section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Anyone who has the intention of insulting or hurting the religious sentiments of any group owes this law. If Ekta is found guilty of this, she could face up to three years in jail, a fine, or both.
She can also face the charges under the POCSO Act itself. In many of these cases, the accused was charged under POCSO and other laws. Under Section 13 of the POCSO Act, it is an offense to sexually exploit a child in television or models or any other broadcasting medium in return for sexual gratification needed by a person. For this, he can get a prison term of a fine and 5 five-year imprisonment term.
Ekta Kapoor might also be charged under Section 15 of the POCSO Act. This section makes it prohibited for anyone to have control of have storage of or fail to erase child pornography. For instance, if a person is found with such content and he does not ensure that it is erased he will be liable for a fine. The fine range begins from Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 and can go up to Rs 10,000 if it happens again.
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