Anu Malik quits as Indian Idol 11 judge after renewed protests led by Sona Mohapatra: report

Music composer Anu Malik has reportedly stepped down as a judge on singing reality show Indian Idol, after renewed protests surrounding allegations of sexual misconduct made against him.

Days after denying allegations of sexual misconduct, music composer Anu Malik has reportedly stepped down as one of the judges of singing reality show Indian Idol. Malik had been reinstated in the position after previously having been removed after multiple women accused him of misconduct during the #MeToo movement in 2018.

Music Director Anu Malik at PV Sindhu's felicitation ceremony organised by Sahara Group in Mumbai.(IANS)

On Thursday, a source close to Sony TV confirmed to IANS that Malik “is stepping down as a judge from Indian Idol”. Meanwhile, Pinkvilla quoted a source as saying, “Following the backlash and ongoing threads on social media, Anu Malik will be walking out of the reality show. The channel is yet to decide on who will be replacing the singer.”

Sony TV was sent a notice by the National Commission of Women. The commission tweeted, “@NCWIndia has taken Suo-motu cognizance of this matter and send a notice to Sony Entertainment Television @sharmarekha @MinistryWCD @PMOIndia.”

The notice read, “The National Commission for Women has come across a Twitter post of Ms Sona Mohapatra wherein it has been alleged that Sony TV has ignored the testimonies of multiple women against a person regarding sexual harassment and assault has further been made a judge for youngsters on national television.”

 

Singer Sona Mohapatra, who has been leading the social media campaign against Sony TV and Malik, had earlier written an open letter to the Union Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister, Smriti Irani, urging her to look into the matter. Irani had announced that the government has begun compiling a database of sexual offenders.

Anu Malik had shared a long note on social media on Thursday, claiming that the allegations had greatly disturbed him. “It has been over a year that I have been accused of something that I haven’t done. I have been silent all this while as I was waiting for the truth to surface on its own. But I realise that my silence on the matter has been misconstrued as my weakness,” he wrote, adding that it had taken a toll on his as well as his family’s mental health and left him “traumatised, and tarnished my career”.

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