Papon steps down of reality show as judge

Bollywood singer Angarag Papon Mahanta on Saturday decided to step down as a judge of the reality show 'Voice of India Kids 2018', after being criticized for allegedly kissing a minor girl.

In a statement issued on Twitter, Papon said, "Since I am in no mental state to fulfill most of my professional obligations, I have decided to step down as a judge of the show till the matter in which I have been falsely implicated is fully resolved and the investigations are over".

"I have full faith in the judicial system and eventually the truth will prevail. In the interim, I would appreciate that my privacy is respected," the statement added.

Earlier in the day, former Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Pahlaj Nihalani told ANI, "Since the video is edited and we are not fully aware of what happened before or after the scene, I will refrain from making any unnecessary comments. However, I feel it is the organisers' responsibility to ensure their participants' safety in such cases."

Yesterday, The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had also issued a notice to both singer Papon and the TV channel.

Supreme Court lawyer Runa Bhuyan on Friday filed a complaint against Papon, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly "inappropriately kissing a minor girl".

The incident took place during the shoot of a Holi celebration on the sets of a Hindi singing reality show where the girl is among the contestants.

--ANI