The Punjab Police have booked pop singer and rapper Honey Singh after the state women’s commission filed a complaint over the lyrics of his song “Makhna”, Hindustan Times reported on Tuesday. Music producer Bhushan Kumar of T-Series has also been booked.
The Punjab State Women Commission’s chief Manisha Gulati had last week written to the state home secretary, the Director General of Police and the Inspector General of Police demanding appropriate action against Singh for allegedly using “vulgar lyrics against women” in the song, PTI reported.
Gulati said the song should be banned in the state and directed the police to submit a status report by July 12. She said the song was “indecent” and would have a “negative effect” on society.
The song was released on December 21, 2018 and has over 21 crore views on YouTube.
Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Harcharan Singh Bhullar said a case was filed against Singh under Sections 294 (obscene acts) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code, under the Information Technology Act and Section 6 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.
The case was registered at the Mataur police station in Mohali district.
In 2013, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered the Punjab government to file a case against Singh for objectionable lyrics in his song “Main Hoon Balatkari [I am a rapist]”. The court had also said that singers like Singh should be boycotted, as “his songs make us hang our heads in shame”.