The child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) sent a letter to Maharashtra additional chief secretary seeking the registration of a FIR against the makers of the Netflix series Bombay Begums alleging inappropriate portrayal of children.
The NCPCR has also reportedly sought action taken report from the Mumbai Police commissioner within three days.
In a letter to Maharashtra Home Ministry’s Additional Chief Secretary Manu Kumar Shrivastva, the NCPCR wrote that the Mumbai police informed them that they needed 'permission from higher authorities' since the issue falls in a 'grey area'.
"Since this is a serious issue where police is not following the laid procedure of the land, hence, you are requested to look into this matter and ensure that no further child rights and law of land is violated in this matter. It is also requested that an action taken report maybe furnished to the Commission within three days," the letter issued on 25 May said.
In another letter to the Maharashtra Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale, the NCPCR has asked him to appear before them via videocall on 28 May along with the action taken report.
In early March, the commission had issued a notice to Netflix asking the streaming platform to file a detailed report within 24 hours, failing which legal action would be initiated. The NCPCR said that they were acting on a complaint that alleged that Bombay Begums shows kids indulging in 'casual sex and drug abuse'.
The notice in March said that this kind of portrayal of children will not only 'pollute young minds of children' but might also result in 'abuse and exploitation'. NCPCR had later also asked the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to direct Netflix to remove some scenes from the show citing inappropriate portrayal of children.
Bombay Begums is directed by Alankrita Srivastava and stars Pooja Bhatt, Sahana Goswami, Amruta Subhash, Plabita Borthakur, among others. The web series released on Netflix on 8 March.
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