Pehredaar Piya Ki pulled off air

Sony Entertainment Television on Tuesday said it has pulled its controversial show "Pehredaar Piya Ki" off air. The development came after a string of complaints against the show which revolved around an 18-year-old girl marrying a nine-year-old boy. The development was effective from Monday, according to an official statement issued on behalf of the channel on Tuesday.

"We are pulling off our programme 'Pehredaar Piya Ki' from television. While we understand that the decision to end this serial will be disappointing to those whose creative energies are vested in it, namely, its crew and cast, we (as a channel) are convinced that we will be better served by focusing instead on developing viewer interest in our upcoming, new shows.

"We are grateful to all the artists, producers and fans of our shows and request you to graciously support the viewership of our newer ventures," the statement read. Earlier this month, the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) had directed the channel to shift the show to a late night slot, besides running it with a scroll stating that it does not promote the concept of child marriage.

Even an online petition was moved for a ban on the TV show, which has been described as having "obnoxious and perverted" content that can "severely impact impressionable minds of children".

The makers have been defending it all along, saying viewers must understand the circumstances in which the girl has to marry the child. "Pehredaar Piya Ki", produced by Shashi Sumeet Productions, went on air last month. The makers were also reportedly planning to add a forward leap to the story.