#MeToo movement: Anu Malik ousted as judge from 'Indian Idol 10' after sexual harassment allegation

Mumbai, Oct 21: Sony Entertainment Televisio on Sunday said that Bollywood music composer Anu Malik has been fired from the singing reality show Indian Idol by Sony Entertainment Television in the wake of the numerous allegations of sexual harassment that have been levelled against him by multiple women.

In an official statement, the channel said,''Anu Malik is no longer a part of Indian Idol jury panel. The show will continue its planned schedule and we'll invite some of the biggest names in Indian music as guests to join Vishal and Neha to judge extraordinary talent of Indian Idol season 10.''

Malik has been judging the Indian Idol since its inception.

In the rise of the #MeToo movement in India, many known personalities from different fields have been named and shamed on different social media platforms.

Four women, including singers Sona Mohapatra and Shweta Pandit, have accused Malik of sexual misconduct. Last week, singer Shweta Pandit accused Malik of sexually harassing her when she was 15. In a long Twitter post, Pandit recounted her ordeal and called Malik a "pedophile". On Saturday, two more women came out and shared their horrific experience with the singer.

Earlier, Anu Malik's lawyer said in a statement, "The allegations made against my client are emphatically denied as completely false and baseless. My client respects the #metoo movement but to use this movement to start a character assassination mission is obnoxious".