Though this is not related to any OTT release, this is something I couldn’t ignore and keep mum. If you haven’t been following Pearl V Puri’s case, let me tell you that he has been arrested for raping a minor girl. And mind you, Mr Sanjay Kumar Patil, the Vasai DCP has in his statement said the accusations against Pearl Puri are not false and that they have evidence against him.
Since I am not the right person to talk about the case, I won’t get into the details. I would request you to go and read about it in the newspapers that are following the case and also watch the video where the DCP has spoken to the press. It is available on YouTube.
Now there are some well-known women from the industry who were quick to come to the guy’s rescue even before the police released their statement which means the investigations were still on. Who are these great women?
None other than Ekta Kapoor, Nia Sharma, Karishma Tanna, Divya Khosla Kumar, Hina Khan, Surbhi Jyoti, and a few more who many of us might not even know. So their struggle to fame is still on by the way. Moving on, more than support it looked like a campaign to be very honest as a set of hashtags were used by these so-called celebrities to support a man who is arrested for rape.
Here are some of the SUPPORT posts that I would like to highlight:
Surbhi Jyoti tweeted: “I have worked with him. I know him very well. He is a very nice and humble human being. I stand with him. #istandwithpearl #letthetruthprevail @pearlvpuri.”
How logical and sensible is this tweet? My blood boils when a woman says something so irrational about a man accused of rape. ‘I know him well. He is a very nice and humble human being?’ So? How does that make a difference? Do you know how many nice and humble men you know rape their wives behind locked doors? Do you know how many nice and humble Uncles out there rape kids in their own family? Do you know how many kids have fallen prey to their own father’s sexual desires? Being a woman if you still do not know that ‘nice and humble’ has nothing to do with a man being a rapist, are you even a woman, lady? If you step out in the crowd, the way you will be touched and groped, the man who will be all over you is also someone’s father, uncle, and a nice and humble colleague. That doesn’t guarantee that they won’t molest or rape someone, does that? Will you ever give that in writing for any of your ‘NICE AND HUMBLE’ colleagues?
Krystle D’Souza wrote: “I know @pearlvpuri and he is one of the nicest boys I’ve met in our tv industry. A thorough gentleman. Please don’t jump to conclusions on baseless allegations. Let’s wait for the truth to come out. #istandwithpearl #PearlVPuri.”
Again, my question is the same. With so much confidence in the kind of man he is, would you give in writing that he cannot rape or molest. That he has all the characteristics of a man that do not rape. You want to ask me what those characteristics are? That is exactly my question to you.
Then comes Divya Khosla Kumar. Let’s not even talk about her. I am really not sure if she even understands what and who she supports and why. If I am not wrong, she is the one who has revealed the victim’s identity. Who is the victim? A 5-year-old child. Is this woman even worth talking about? Clearly not.
I remember when most of these so-called celebrities were asked to comment on Sushant Singh Rajput’s case, they didn’t want to comment. She refrained from tweeting #JusticeForSushant. And I understand that. Being a celebrity if you support something when you do not have enough facts, it is your right to shut up. But then shouldn’t you be exercising it everywhere? I mean how difficult it is to shut up?
The case wasn’t in your court. Why were the phone calls leaked when the police were still investigating the case? If you have any evidence that proves that the guy is innocent, go hand it over to the police. You have every right to support your friend who you think has done no wrong. But there is a way of doing it. There is a procedure you should follow. Not everything has to be out on social media, especially when a 5-year-old child is involved.
You have children at home. If the child walks up to you tomorrow and says that a colleague or friend of yours has touched him/her inappropriately, would you tell the child that the Uncle is a nice and humble guy? That I have worked with him and since he didn’t ever molest me, there are no chances that he will touch you inappropriately? If yes, please put up your kids for adoption because they are not in safe hands.
I don’t know if, as per our law, anyone who tries to influence the case or public opinion using his/her popularity or in any other way through social media or other channels, can be sued. But I think it is high time. Any individual who tries to support a guilty person, especially in cases of heinous crime, the supporter, who has no evidence otherwise, should be arrested too.
Now that the DCP in his statement has said that they have evidence against Pearl V Puri, I would like to ask all the women supporters out there:
Would you now issue a public apology?
I genuinely feel that the only punishment for such supporters is that they should be asked to sponsor the child’s education and also the counselling that the child may need in the future, as they have revealed her identity on a public platform.
Dear women who supported Pearl V Puri, you should have at least waited for the verdict.