Following a barrage of allegations of sexual harassment, a Chennai based photographer Prashanth Ravi, popularly known as Prashanth Bionic, has issued a statement of apology stating he feels "a great sense of regret and shame."
Ravi, in his post, however, claimed that he "never abused" his "position as a photographer or a professional to such ends."
Since 23 October, an aspiring fashion model had posted several screenshots of conversations with Ravi, in which he alleged shared obscene pictures and videos with her. The photographer has over three lakh followers on Instagram.
The Quint has reached out to Ravi for a comment. The article will be updated when he responds.
What Is the Photographer Accused Of?
In a series of posts on Instagram and Reddit, the model recounted incidents from the past three years, alleging Ravi indulged in "harmless flirting" at first, even after she had made it clear that she didn't feel the same way. "I didn’t name and shame him. Now, I can’t stop thinking about how this has gotten progressively bad and if I had done something about this back then, it might have stopped," the post read.
The model's account led to a cascade of allegations against Ravi from several other aspiring models and artists on Instagram. One of the women alleged that the photographer had shared nude images of him without her consent.
"This wouldn’t stop here unless we take a stand against people like him. There’s a perception that this industry itself is like this. But, that’s not true. I have met many many good photographers and artists, who are respectful and make you feel very safe and comfortable. A huge shoutout to such people who strive to make this a safe space for many women out there!," she posted.
Meanwhile, Ravi's apology further read:
"Hailing from a modest background, I had toiled so hard to get where I am today. One can regain lost wealth or care but cannot revive the character of a person. To err is human. I promise that I will strive to be a better person. I promise to be extremely empathetic, respectful, kind, and understanding."Prashanth Ravi
Singer Chinmayi Sripada took to social media to share the posts and condemned his apology note.
"I am going to assume Prashanth is educated enough , old enough and aware enough of what transpired when the MeToo movement broke out in 2019. He clearly has an A-list following and has worked with rich/influential people. All of us women constantly spoke about being aware, knowing boundaries, and understanding consent," her Instagram story read.
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