Delhi Police file FIR against perfume brand over ‘obscene’ ads

The case was registered based on a complaint by Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal, who also wrote to the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur earlier this week seeking his intervention in the matter

The Delhi Police on Thursday registered a case against a perfume brand for an “obscene” advertisement, which was earlier this week taken off air after directions by the Union ministry of information and broadcasting.

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The case was registered based on a complaint by Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal, who also wrote to the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur earlier this week seeking his intervention in the matter.

After the letter, the ministry had directed that the advertisement be taken off air and the social media platforms, the DCW said. The company had then issued an apology for the advertisements while stating that they were aired “only after due and mandatory approvals.”

DCW said the FIR was registered under Section 67 of the IT Act (Punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form).

“On my complaint, the Delhi Police have registered an FIR in the matter. I hope strong action is taken against the owners of the company as well as those involved in creating and publishing this outrageous advertisement on TV, which clearly encourages toxic masculinity and gang rape,” Maliwal said.