Rapped by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Punjab police on Friday finally said “no no” to rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh by registering a case against him.
He has been booked by the Punjab Police for rendering obscene songs in pubic place under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“We have just registered a case against Honey Singh initially under section 294 of the IPC with an FIR numbering 79 in the police station City Nawanshahr. We have just started the investigations in the matter and will see what to be done next,” Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar (Nawanshahr)
senior superintendent of police Dhanpreet Kaur told The Pioneer.
Section 294 entails that anybody rendering obscene songs in or near a public place is liable to be punished with imprisonment for a term up to three months, or with fine, or with both.
The case was registered just about three days after the High Court virtually passed strictures against the state for its inaction in the matter, after singer did not appear before the Court despite the notice issued to him on an earlier date of hearing. The court had maintained that singers like Honey Singh should be “boycotted” as “his songs make us hang our heads in shame”.
The court had also come down heavily on the state of Punjab for seeking instructions from the court to register an FIR against Honey Singh, instead of acting as per law.
Only a day before, the Punjab Government has also issued orders for registering a case against Honey Singh for singing vulgar songs to Nawanshahr police.
Principal Secretary, Home, DS Bains has asked the Nawanshahr SSP to book the singer “immediately” under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code for his song “Main Hun Balatkari” (I am a rapist), cutting short the paper work.
Already, the state Department of Cultural Affairs had submitted a report to the Home department recommending action against the singer under Section 294.
Honey Singh caught in the controversy over the lyrics of his song Main Hun Balatkari (I am a rapist), which he claimed that he did not write but only sing. He accused his critics of using him as a “scapegoat”.
His song, along with many others, came into light following the infamous 2012 Delhi gang-rape incident, criticised for disrespecting women, and promoting vulgarity.
Honey Singh’s other popular tracks, including Brown Rang, Dope Shope and Angreji Beat are criticised for being misogynist, demeaning for women, and depicting violence against women and rape.
Many protests were also held against other Punjabi singers, including Diljit Dosanjh, Gippy Grewal, Amar Chamkila, Ashok Masti and Geeta Zaildar for singing vulgar songs.