After continuously facing continuous pressure after he was reinstated as judge of the singing reality show Indian Idol, despite multiple sexual harassment allegations, veteran music composer Anu Malik has finally voluntarily stepped down from the show.
Speaking about his decision, he told the newspaper supplement, Bombay Times, that he won’t return to the show until his name is cleared of all allegations.
“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,” he told the publication.
Over the last few weeks, singer Soha Mohapatra has repeatedly shared posts on social media criticizing the channel Sony TV for reinstating Malik as the judge of the show. Following this, the National Commission of Women wrote a letter to the channel urging them to remove Malik.
While sharing a copy of their letter on Twitter, NCW wrote, “NCW 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 a judge for a talent show for youngsters on National television.”