In a news pertaining to the biggest quizzing show in country, the Railway Department seems to be going after the Kaun Banega Crorepati 13 contestant Desh Bandhu Pandey. Although Mr. Pandey fulfilled his dream of sitting on the ‘hot-seat’ next to the biggest star of the millennium, he is now facing legal troubles for attending the quiz show.

Contents hide
1. Details
2. Who is Mr. Desh Bandhu Pandey?
3. Settling for Rs. 3,40,000
4. Dream Ends – Nightmare Begins
5. Other KBC Controversial Moment
6. The “Manusmriti” Incident

Details

A show of intellect, fate and highs-and-lows, Kaun Banega Crorepati, inspired by an equally exhilarating show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, has once again caught the frenzy of the country. Every night, work, discussions and arguments are put aside and all eyes are glued to screen with megastar Amitabh Bachchan quizzing contestants across the nation.

Who is Mr. Desh Bandhu Pandey?

One such contestant, Mr. Desh Bandhu Pandey, has found himself in a rather sour legal soup with the railway department filing a charge sheet against him.

Hailing from Rajasthan’s Kota, Mr. Pandey works in the Indian railway department and made the slippery decision of making his way as a contestant of the quizzing show. His luck favoured him as well as he won the ‘fastest-fingers-first’ round and soon, helped him set on the much-coveted hot seat.

Also Read: Amitabh Bachchan Did Not Charge Fee for the Movie ‘Chehre’, Says Producer Anand Pandit

Settling for Rs. 3,40,000

Although he couldn’t climb the rungs of the prize money ladder, he did end up winning a sum of Rs. 3,40,000 as the next question remained too challenging for him.  After answering the Rs. 6,40,000 question incorrectly, Mr. Pandey had to leave the hotseat with his well-earned Rs. 3,40,000.

Dream Ends – Nightmare Begins

Little did Mr. Pandey know that his dream was to end and a new nightmare awaited him. The organization where Mr. Pandey works – the Indian Railways department – has slapped Mr. Pandey with a legal charge sheet for appearing in the quizzing show.

According to a Times Now report, Mr. Pandey had to take leave from his post from August 9-13 for his appearance on the show, and hence, had informed his colleagues about being on leave. However, his leave wasn’t officially approved by the railway administration.

Being slapped a charge sheet for leave of absence may seem a little too harsh to most of us. The same sentiment is shared by officials working in Railway department. Reportedly a West Central Railway Mazdoor Sangh’s divisional secretary claimed that the administration has been unfair towards Pandey.

So far, the railway department has remained silent and hasn’t issued a comment regarding the case.

Other KBC Controversial Moment

While KBC is considered a classic quizzing show, it has had its share of controversial moments where the makers or contestants have landed in troubles often. During KBC 12, the show ran into a controversy due to a question that ended up “hurting Hindu sentiments”.

Also Read: Chehre is a Thriller That Falls Flat, Even Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi Can’t Rescue the Film

The “Manusmriti” Incident

The incident happened during the Karamveer special episode in which Crime Patrol host Anoop Soni and social activist Bezwada Wilson were sitting on the hotseat. The duo was asked a question for Rs. 6,40,000 about Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and his followers burning which Hindu scripture. The duo was given options – Vishnu Purana, Bhagavad Gita, Rigdev and Manusmriti.

The correct answer emerged Manusmriti. Mr. Bachchan, in his classic Kaun Banega Crorepati style took a minute to explain the answer and told how back in 1927, Dr. Ambedkar burned copies of Manusmriti which justified caste discrimination.

Although most people would move on from the explanation as something they learnt, certain Hindu viewers took offense to the question. Soon, FIR was reportedly filed against KBC 12 makers and against the host Amitabh Bachchan.