Anu Malik removed as Indian Idol judge after #MeToo allegations
October 21, 2018
Indian composer Anu Malik has been removed as Indian Idol judge following multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
“Anu Malik is no longer a part of Indian Idol jury panel. The show will continue its planned schedule and we will invite some of the biggest names in Indian music as guests to join Vishal and Neha to judge the extraordinary talent of Indian Idol season 10,” a statement released by Sony Entertainment Television on Sunday read.
Last week, singer Shweta Pandit had accused Malik of sexually harassing her when she was 15.
Taking to Twitter the singer had posted about the ordeal and called Malik a "pedophile".
Singer Sona Mahapatra had also called out the 57-year-old in an Instagram post accusing Malik of being a "serial offender" and alleged that he would call her at odd hours.
However, Malik dismissed the allegation as "ridiculous" and also denied knowing Mohapatra.
On October 20, two more women came forward to accuse Malik of sexual harassment.
In her alleged encounter with Malik, the first woman recalled that the composer "rubbed his body" against her and when she expressed shock at his behavior, he apologized meekly.
Another woman, who is an aspiring singer, alleged that she was approached to participate on Indian Idol 10 as a wild card entry but she refused the offer because Malik had sexually harassed her seven years ago.
