The government-appointed National Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Thursday asked streaming platform Netflix to stop airing the webseries, Bombay Begums, saying its contents may result in the abuse and exploitation of children, reported PTI.

The child rights body issued a notice to the streaming platform, and asked for a detailed report within 24 hours on the action taken by it. The organisation also warned Netflix that it would otherwise initiate “appropriate legal action” against the American company.

Bombay Begums, a six-part series launched on Netflix on March 8, follows five women whose lives interlock in Mumbai. Directed by Lipstick Under My Burkha filmmaker Alankrita Shrivastava, the show explores ambition, a working woman’s efforts to maintain a work-life balance, and her complex relationships with men, women, colleagues, bosses, children and her own body. It stars Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami, Amruta Subhash, Plabita Borthakur, Aadhya Anand, Rahul Bose, Vivek Gomber and Danish Husain.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights said it received a complaint from two Twitter handles about some scenes in the show. “From normalisation of minors indulging in casual sex we now have webseries showing minors having cocaine,” the child rights body quoted one of the tweets. “Screen grab from Bombay Begums where a 13-year-old is snorting coke as the party she goes to is all about alcohol, drugs.”

Further, the notice cited a tweet by a Twitter account called Gems of Bollywood, which objected to the portrayal of the fantasies of children.

The commission called the Twitter user’s objections “serious”, and said that it did not allow “representing, portraying and glorifying children in India in such a manner” on any media platform, including the internet and OTTs.

“The Commission has taken cognizance of the tweet, under Section 13 111(j) of CPCR Act, 2005 [Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act] and is of the view that the series with this type of content will not only pollute the young minds of the children, and may also result into abuse and exploitation of children at the hands of the perpetrators)/offenders,” the notice said.

“Netflix should take extra precaution while streaming any content in respect of the children or for the children and shall also refrain themselves from getting into such things.”

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