The Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh who is quite infamous in press and social media circles for his quirky attires has found himself in a soup for an altogether lack thereof. After the actor’s naked photoshoot went viral on social media, opinions were divided in appreciation and disgust of his cavalier all-baring avatar.
An FIR has been registered in the Chembur Police station, against the actor, for obscenity and “hurting sentiments of women,” in response to complaints filed by an NGO alleging the same.
A case against the actor under section 67 A of the Information Technology Act and under sections 292, 294, and 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been filed.
Section 67 A of the IT act states, “Whoever publishes or transmits or causes to be published or transmitted in the electronic form any material which contains sexually explicit act or conduct shall be punished on first conviction with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years and with fine which may extend to ten lakh”
Persons found to fit the description under Section 292 of the IPC can be punished with, “on first conviction with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, and with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees, and, in the event of a second or subsequent conviction, with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, and also with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees.”
As per the Section 294 of the IPC, anybody who commits an obscene act to the annoyance of public can be punished with up to 3 months in prison or fine or both.
The Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code directs for up to 3 years imprisonment or fine or both, for persons who act with the intention of insulting the modesty of a woman.
The complaint beseeching intervention by the court highlighted,
“Actors in India are called Nayak and the people of India follow them. In some parts of India, the people even worship them as God. By doing such acts, actors like Ranveer Singh try to get cheap publicity at the cost of sentiments of the people. These kinds of acts should be opposed strongly, as it is not being opposed then struggling actors will also follow the same path for getting cheap publicity which will result in a worst society.”