Celebrity hairstylist Jawed Habib has landed into a controversy after a video showing him spitting on a woman's head while styling her hair went viral on social media. Habib has been booked following a complaint at Mansurpur police station in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.
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The viral video trended on Twitter the whole of Thursday (Janaury 6) and saw Habib at the receiving end of social media fury. Lashing out at Habib, enraged Twitter users called his act 'disgusting'. The hairstylist, meanwhile, issued an apology from his Instagram handle on the same day.
National Commission for Women, on Thursday, said that it has written to the UP DGP to investigate the veracity of the viral video and take appropriate action.
What is the viral video all about?
According to an Indian Express report, the video is from a private event on hair care organised in Muzaffarnagar at which Jawed Habib was the chief guest. The date of the video has not been specified. The viral clip shows a woman sitting in a salon chair on a dais while Habib can be seen styling her hair.
At one point in the video, Habib can be seen spitting on the woman's hair while styling it. He can be heard saying in Hindi 'The hair is dirty and why is it dirty... haven't shampooed it'. At this point, he spits on the woman's head. The public applauds and claps at which point Habib says, "This spit is powerful."
(Hindi: देखा मैने बाल गंदे हैं और गंदे क्यों हैं ... शैम्पू नहीं किया. शांत रहो सुनो और अगर पानी की कमी है ना अबे इस थूक में जान है)
The video has since then been viral on social media.
The woman seen in the viral video later released a video alleging misbehaviour on part of Javed Habib.
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In her message, the woman identifies herself as Pooja Gupta, owner of Vanshika beauty parlour in Baraut. The woman said that the video clip was made by her husband.
Speaking in Hindi, the woman said, "When I asked him questions at the workshop, he did not reply but said you sit down silently. You run one parlour and I run 900 of them." She further added that in latter part of the workshop she was asked to come on stage to participate in a 'cutting session'. Gupta said, "When I went on the stage, the first thing he said was this is the same model who has been telling since morning 'how is this possible, how is this possible'. Now see how she has come."
Gupta also said that Habib had pushed her head to which she had objected saying she has cervical issue. She later said that Habib spat on her twice and said that 'if you have water scarcity in your parlour, you can use spit to style the hair'.
Action Taken
Taking cognisance of the incident, the chairperson of National Commission for Women, Rekha Sharma, has written to the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh to investigate the veracity of the incident and take appropriate action.
According to a tweet from ANI, superintendent of police, Muzaffarnagar has said that local police is investigating the case.
BOOM called Mansurpur police station and Station House Officer Sushil Kumar Saini told us that Habib has been booked under Sections 355 (assault) and 504 (causing hurt) of Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Epidemic Act.
Javed Habib Renders Apology
The hairstylist took to his Instagram to issue an apology statement via a video. In the 27-second-long, Habib says that it was a professional show and whatever happened was done with a humorous intent. Habib said, "Sorry, dil se maafi maangta hoon."
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