Sony TV issues statement on controversial Crime Patrol episode; says it was "work of fiction"
Jan 03, 2023
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 3 : After facing massive backlash over a recent episode of 'Crime Patrol' that depicted a story similar to that of Sharddha Walkar's case, Sony TV has issued a statement denying any connection with the case.
Sony TV issued a statement via their Twitter handle @SonyLiv and wrote that the said episode was a "work of fiction" and that the episode was based on an incident dating back to 2011.
"Some viewers have commented on social media about a recent episode of "Crime Patrol" on SET resembling a recent incident reported in the media. We wish to clarify that while the episode is a work of fiction, it is based on certain events that occurred in 2011 and not connected to any recent case."
They further wrote, "We take every care to ensure our content meets broadcasting standards laid down by the regulatory bodies. However, in this case, respecting the sentiments expressed by our viewers, we have discontinued the airing of the episode. If the telecast has hurt the sentiments of any of our viewers, we wish to express our sincere regrets."
Makers of the show recently aired an episode wherein people noticed a stark resemblance in the storyline with Shraddha Walkar's murder case. But things got a bit controversial over the fact that the makers changed the religion of the main leads - they showed the girl as a Christian girl while the boy accused of chopping her into pieces was shown as a Hindu boy (Mihir).
Netizens then called for a boycott of the channel.
Talking about Shraddha Walkar's case, the next hearing date is January 6, 2023. The last hearing was on December 23, 2022. Aaftab Poonawalla has been accused of strangling to death his live-in partner Shraddha and chopping her body into 35 pieces. He is also alleged to have preserved the chopped body parts in a refrigerator before dumping them in forested areas in Delhi and Gurugram.
Police had earlier said Aaftab, who confessed to killing Shraddha and chopping her body into 35 pieces, was giving misleading answers to questions.
