National Commission for Women steps up to support singer Sona Mohapatra

Sona Mohapatra's repeated complaints against the reinstatement of music director Anu Malik as a judge on the popular reality show Indian Idol have been taken up by the National Commission for Women (NCW).

The commission has issued a notice to Rohit Gupta, president of Sony Entertainment Television, the channel that airs Indian Idol.

Mohapatra was one of several women to have accused Anu Malik of improper behaviour and molestation when the #MeToo movement gripped India last year. The singer's report was backed by statements of several others like Alisha Chinai, Shweta Pandit and Neha Bhasin.

While Malik was forced to resign from his position as a judge on Indian Idol 10, the channel has reinstated him for the latest season.

With rising complaints from Mohapatra and Bhasin, the channel has had to backtrack. Malik recently shared a post about how he was feeling 'pain' and was in a dark place because of the complaints. 

While the channel has not set out an official statement, the complaints have reached the NCW. The commission posted a copy of the notice sent to channel head Gupta. 

The statement said, "The commission is seriously perturbed by the crime targeted against women despite the enactment of sexual harassment laws." It added a request to the channel to "apprise it of any action taken in the matter". 

The channel is yet to respond to any questions. However, recent reports suggest that there is increasing pressure on Malik to step down from his position as a judge on Indian Idol 11.