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Papon in dock after kissing a minor contestant
Mrityunjay Bose
DHNS
Last Updated IST
Singer Papon landed in a controversy on Friday after a case was filed against him for kissing a minor  contestant during a TV music reality show. DH file photo
Singer Papon landed in a controversy on Friday after a case was filed against him for kissing a minor contestant during a TV music reality show. DH file photo

Singer Papon landed in a controversy on Friday after a case was filed against him for kissing a minor  contestant during a TV music reality show.

The video, which went viral on social media, shows Papon smearing colours and planting a kiss on  the girl's face after a rendition of a Holi-themed song.

The video was shared by Angarag Mahanta, who is popularly known as Papon, on his Facebook page on Tuesday.  

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Papon along with Shaan, Himmesh Reshammiya and Palak Muchhal judge and mentor the music reality show The Voice India Kids.

Supreme Court lawyer Runa Bhuyan on Friday filed a complaint with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights against Papon under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Papon on Friday put out a statement on Twitter. "My family stands by me in this tough time where I feel I am  victimised  for no fault of mine," he said.

Papon says that he has a loving wife of over 14 years and two young children. "There is a little girl involved, whose identity is not masked in any way. Both our families are being destroyed forever, just by people jumping to conclusions," he said.

However, he added: "However, this is not to say that I haven't made a mistake, I might have done it spontaneously but in today's environment, to touch a girl, however, innocent your thoughts are, is not advisable. I am sorry for that."

Minutes after the clarification, another video surfaced in the social media in which he was seen getting massaged by kids. The faces of the kids could be seen.

"It is not a kiss, its a peck," said Papon's lawyer Gaurang Kanth. "It is a guru-shishya  relationship," he told a TV channel.  

The television channel has issued a statement saying it will extend full support to all the affected parties  and have always been focused on the safety, security  and  well-being of the contestants participating in the shows.

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(Published 23 February 2018, 19:34 IST)