The National Commission for Women (NCW) has asked Jawed Habib, the Indian hairstylist and businessman, to appear before its council on January 11, regarding a viral video of him allegedly spitting into a woman’s hair, ANI reported.
As soon as the video went viral on Wednesday, the NCW strongly acknowledged the issue and wrote to the state DGP on Thursday, to immediately look into the veracity of the video and take necessary actions against it. The commission also wrote to the Delhi Commissioner of Police Rakesh Asthana, urging the same. As per the ANI report, it would send out a notice to Habib, as well.
On Thursday, a video went viral, where Habib was seen spitting into a beauty parlour owner Pooja Gupta’s hair during a seminar, while giving instructions on “how to cut one’s hair, when there is a lack of water”.
Hailing from Baraut in Uttar Pradesh, Gupta, later in a video recalled the incident, saying she had gone to attend Habib’s seminar in Muzaffarnagar, organised by WonderSoft, on Monday.
“I was asking him questions, during the seminar but there were no responses from him. Instead, he asked me to quietly sit down, and said ‘you (Gupta) run one parlour, while I (Habib) own 900 of them’. After lunch, he called me on stage, to demonstrate hair cuts. First, he pushed my head with force, to which I immediately objected. Then, while cutting my hair, he spat twice in it saying that if there is a lack of water in the parlour, you can cut your customer’s hair with your saliva, as well.” she narrated.
Based on Gupta’s complaint, Habib has been booked under sections relating to assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour a person of the Indian Penal Code and the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
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A police case has also been registered against Habib, under sections 355 (assault), 504 (insult) of IPC, and relevant sections of the Epidemic Act, said Rakesh Kumar, CO, Khatauli, Muzaffarnagar, to ANI.
Apologising for the incident on social media, Habib said, “I’d just like to say one thing. These are professional workshops, attended by people from within our profession. As these sessions tend to get very long, we have to make them a little humorous. But, what can I say, if you are truly hurt, I apologise from the bottom of my heart. Please forgive me, I am sorry.”