New Delhi, May 2: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognizance of extremely disturbing media reports and viral video content from Ullu app’s latest web show House Arrest.
Taking the matter extremely seriously, the NCW has issued a notice to Ullu app CEO Vibhu Agarwal and Eijaz Khan to appear before the Commission on May 9.
The Commission said on Friday that a short clip of the show went viral on April 29, in which host Eijaz Khan is seen forcing female participants to act out private, intimate situations on camera. They were seen doing so despite their discomfort and outright refusal. The contestants were allegedly asked to further undress and perform obscene acts on screen. Such pornographic content not only violates the dignity of women, but also sets an extremely regressive and harmful precedent for online entertainment.
The Commission believes that the nature of these acts, if found to be true, is a crime under serious penal provisions under the Indian Justice Code-2023 and the Information Technology Act-2000. The Commission informed that earlier also it had taken a tough stand in the case related to content creator Ranveer Allahbadia. It had stressed that media personalities should be held accountable for content that degrades the dignity of women.
Commission Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said that any media content that promotes misogyny, forces women into compromising positions or disregards moral boundaries will not be tolerated. The NCW urges all media and digital platforms to shoulder social responsibility and ensure that their content is in conformity with law, decency and respect for women.
The Commission will remain vigilant and strict action will be taken wherever the dignity of women is compromised in the name of content creation or digital entertainment.
