Leone, when she was in America had not broken any American laws and that Indians were broad minded and liberal people who should take the matter in that spirit, he said.

“Sunny Leone was earning her livelihood in USA in a manner acceptable in that country, though it is not acceptable in India. Hence, if she conducts herself in India in a manner which is socially acceptable in India and does not breach the social moral code in India, we should not treat her as a social outcast,” Katju said.

The Press Council chairperson also said he had not been shown anything to suggest that she is indulging in pornography while in India.

Citing historical and religious figures, he said, “Lord Buddha stayed with the courtesan Amrapali and ate food served by her, and she later became his disciple.”

“Similarly, Mary Magdalene was a fallen woman (according to the Gospel of Luke as interpreted by Pope Gregory) and Jesus allowed her to wash his feet and she later became his disciple,” he noted.

There is no saint without a past and no sinner without a future, Katju said.

A complaint over the Broadcast Consumers Complaint Council's (BCCC) inaction over the appearance of Leone which had been sent to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni had been marked to Katju as well, sources said.

Leone's appearance on the Colors Channels show Bigg Boss has been a subject of controversy for quite some time. BCCC had recently directed that Leone does not use the show to promote her pornography business.