Comedian Utsav Chakraborty, who has been accused of sexual harassment by several women on social media, has countered that he asked an underaged person for nude photographs, while admitting to "getting nudes from a person was an instant rush" for him.
On Thursday, a volley of allegations against Chakraborty -- a YouTuber who was once associated with comedy collective All India Bakchod (AIB) -- cropped up after a woman Twitter user wrote Chakraborty had sent unsolicited pictures of private parts to women and harassed girls, including minors, through social media platforms.
The Mumbai police took note of the posts, and tweeted: "We will look into this on priority", while AIB delisted every video featuring Chakraborty on its channels.
In his defense, Chakraborty had tweeted that the "whole thing needs a lot of patience, and an incredible amount of context".
Later, he posted a series of tweets giving his side of the story as there was "more to what is being said", and apologised for his "scary truth".
"I've never asked an underage person for nudes. If it can be proved in any way, I'm ready to take due course of the law."
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"As for 'sending' unsolicited pictures of my genitals, I don't think I've ever done that. I would only send if that person asked for the said picture. And even then I would make sure that said person has sent me something of equal parity first," he added, admitting that he has indulged in 'sexting'.
He said Snapchat was the "worst thing to happen to me" at a stage when he was dealing with an attention deficit mind.
"Some nice people did send me nudes there and I started assuming that everyone was that forthcoming and open to sexting. That was the worst thought that I could have had. But I did.
"And as for asking for nudes from underaged people, I cannot and will not ever do that. The person in question can pull up screenshots and I would be proved forthright. But again, it doesn't mean I wasn't an entitled piece of sh*t who asked out everyone in his know," Chakraborty added.
In his head, Chakraborty said, it was just "plain sexting".
"Because I had made up this egalitarian society where women constantly don't get harassed every waking moment of the day. And I would look at myself and say but I'm so woke. I'm not like those guys.
"To me, getting nudes from a person was an instant rush. I was not in pain for that brief moment. Someone trusted me with that information. I would feel honoured and not ugly. But this caught me into a weird spiral. Where I would ask anyone who was nice to me in the slightest.
"But again, that's what every supervillain says to justify their villainry. That oh, look at my tragic back story. Look at my many problems. I'm fully aware I'm doing that right now. But I have to explain my irresponsible behaviour somehow. At least to my self."
He said his biggest concern till day is to figure out how to pay for his "weekly injections" for medical issues that he says he has to "deal with for life".
"And those are expensive issues. But to use my illness as a crutch is stupid. But it's not like it's not relevant to this whole debacle."
"It's a little too late now but I am sorry. I really am," he added.
--IANS
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