Will Return After Clearing My Name: Malik on Exiting Indian Idol

Anu Malik has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Anu Malik is reportedly leaving reality show Indian Idol. IANS has quoted a source from producers Sony TV as saying that he is “stepping down as a judge from the show”. The news comes a few days after the singer posted a statement on social media denying the allegations of sexual misconduct that have been levelled against him.

In an interview with Bombay Times, Malik has claimed that he has “taken this decision voluntarily” and will take a “three-week” break from the show.

“I have taken this decision voluntarily. I want to take a three-week break from the show and get back to it only after I have cleared my name. While the channel has been supportive, it’s solely my decision to take this break. All I want to say is that before jumping to a conclusion, it’s important to hear the other side as well.”

Anu Malik, Singer

Malik has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women, including singers Sona Mohapatra, Shweta Pandit and Neha Bhasin, who called him out last October when the #MeToo movement hit Bollywood. He has previously bowed out of the show following the allegations but was reinstated as a judge for season 11 of the reality show in May.

National Commission for Women Issues Notice to Sony TV

The National Commission for Women on Thursday, 21 November, issued a notice to Rohit Gupta, President of Sony Entertainment Television. The committee tweeted that it has taken “suo-motu cognizance of a Twitter post shared by Sona Mohapatra wherein it’s alleged Sony TV has ignored testimonies of multiple women against a person regarding sexual harassment and made him (Anu Malik) a judge for a talent show for youngsters on national television.”

Hope Sony Issues a Public Apology, Says Sona Mohapatra

Sona Mohapatra has been vocal in her campaign to appeal to Sony TV to remove Malik from the show. In an Instagram post dated 7 November, she emphasised that though several women had come forward with their #MeToo stories about Anu Malik, they have been ignored and accused of trying to seek publicity. She said that Sony was encouraging this sort of victim blaming by continuing to have Malik as a judge on the show.

She also tweeted to Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani asking for her support.

Speaking to Firstpost Sona Mohapatra said that she believes this letter to Irani “was the final nail”. “I hope Sony TV shows the grace of issuing a public apology for hiring a person without any due process or enquiry into the allegations against him (sic),” she said.

Malik Publicly Addresses Allegations for the First Time

On 14 November, Anu Malik broke his silence on the allegations against him in a statement posted on Twitter.

He wrote that he was “waiting for the truth to surface on its own” and that his silence has been misconstrued as weakness. “Why wasn’t this spoken about before? Why do these allegations resurface only when I am back on television, which is currently my only source of livelihood?” he added.