The Maharashtra cyber police department has booked the directors and owners of various OTT platforms and websites, including Ekta Kapoor’s Alt Balaji, for allegedly showing pornographic content.
The FIR was lodged following a complaint by a Palghar activist after he came across a news story of a man held for shooting and selling pornographic videos across India and abroad.
The activist approached police after he discovered those videos published online by several streaming services and pornographic websites.
A summon to the heads of these platforms has been sent on Tuesday. The police said the management would be asked to take down the content and arrests would be made in instances where it is deemed necessary.
A cyber police officer said the department took cognizance of the complaint since “this issue can potentially have an adverse effect on the young impressionable minds of our society”.
The police have invoked sections of Indian Penal Code, IT Act and the Indecent representation of Women (Prohibition) Act in the FIR against 13 OTT platforms like Alt Balaji, Hotshot, Flizmovies, Feneo, Kukoo, Ullu and other websites.
A senior cop who wished to remain anonymous said: “A number of struggling and B-grade actresses were a part of these obscene contents uploaded on the platforms, but will not be treated as accused. They will be treated as victims as it was their helplessness that led them to be a part of such acts.”
