The scheduled hearing in the casting couch case against actor Tatwa Prakash Sathpathy alias Papu Pompom could not be held on Monday as none of the witnesses turned up in court.
“The Special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) court had issued summons to four witnesses. As none of them turned up, hearing of the trial has been adjourned to another date,” Papu’s lawyer Debasnan Mishra said.
Four persons including the ‘victim’ minor girl, her parents and the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) member, who had levelled the allegations against the actor, had been directed to appear before the court for the hearing.
Papu is accused of exploiting the minor girl after luring her on the plea of giving her a break in movies. The girl levelled allegation against the actor in June 2016.
Papu was charged under different Sections of IPC and the POCSO Act. He was arrested from an apartment in Puri on June 30, 2016.