FIR on comedian, doc & others for ‘obscene’ content from standup shows posted online

Ahmed AliMumbai: The cyber police have registered an FIR against standup comedian Pranit More, Himanshu Jangra and Dr Sejal Pawar, among others, for allegedly creating and circulating obscene and objectionable content on social media platforms during their standup comedy shows.The action follows a controversy that erupted online over a clip from More’s standup show, featuring Dr Sejal Pawar. In the video, Pawar makes fun of a male cadaver’s private parts during post-mortem. The clip triggered criticism on social media, with several users questioning whether the remarks were disrespectful towards deceased individuals and undermined the dignity associated with cadavers used for medical education.Pawar later clarified that the clip was around three months old and issued an apology.Police officers said the content was found to be disrespectful to the dignity of the deceased and in violation of standards of public decency. On Thursday, Maharashtra Cyber said a case had been registered at the Nodal cyber police station under various provisions of the BNS and the Information Technology Act.According to officials, videos linked to programmes hosted by More contained offensive remarks concerning women, consent and deceased persons. Maharashtra Cyber has issued summons to the accused for inquiry and for recording of statements.During the probe, investigators also examined another video clip allegedly featuring Himanshu Jangra, in which remarks were made suggesting entitlement to physical intimacy in return for money spent during a date. Police said the comments portrayed women in a derogatory manner and trivialised issues relating to consent and dignity.The National Commission for Women (NCW) also took suo motu cognisance of Jangra’s video clip, which was shot in Gurgaon. It has issued summons to More and Jangra asking them to appear for a hearing at 4 pm on June 22. NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has also written to the Haryana DGP demanding a swift investigation and Haryana police have been given a seven-day deadline to submit an action taken report (ATR) in the case.Those named by the cyber police in the FIR include More, Jangra, Dr Pawar and other individuals allegedly involved in the creation, publication, promotion and dissemination of the content through digital and social media platforms.In an official statement, Maharashtra Cyber said it continues to monitor online platforms and social media ecosystems to identify and take action against content that may violate the law and adversely affect public order, dignity and societal interests.Police further alleged that the content in this case was recorded, promoted, published and circulated with the objective of increasing audience engagement, viewership and generating financial gains through online monetisation and other revenue-generating activities.Maharashtra Cyber has appealed to content creators, influencers and social media users to exercise caution and responsibility while creating and sharing online content, and to ensure compliance with the applicable legal provisions. The agency also urged citizens not to share, forward or circulate obscene and objectionable material on social media platforms, warning that dissemination of such content could attract legal action.- Inputs by Anjali Singh from Gurgaon