Anu Malik Quits Indian Idol 11 As Sony TV Receives Notice From National Commission For Women

Anu Malik has been mired in controversies, with several sexual harassment allegations levelled against him. The latest is a notice sent by the National Commission for Women (NCW), which has resulted in his ouster as a judge from the singing reality show, Indian Idol 11 on Sony Entertainment Television.

The official government body sent a notice to the broadcasting channel following an open letter by singer Sona Mohapatra to Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Textiles and Women & Child Development. The notice was addressed to Rohit Gupta, President, Sony Entertainment Television.

The channel in question had recently received some serious flak on for having reinstated Malik as a judge on Indian Idol 11. After being served the notice, a final call has been taken by the show executives.

According to media reports, Anu Malik has quit the show with immediate effect. A source close to the development added that the channel hasn’t found a replacement as yet.

The NCW also shared the legal notice served to the channel on their official Twitter handle. The notice features a mention of singer Sona Mohapatra's tweet whilst seeking an explanation from the channel on the matter.

An excerpt from the notice stated, "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."

Sona Mohapatra immediately took to Twitter to thank everyone who supported the just cause. She said, "Thank you to all the women & men & the media of India who supported our campaign #MoveOutMalik. A repeat offender like Anu Malik on national tv triggered a lot of trauma, pain & stress in many of our lives. I have been ill for a while & I hope to sleep well tonight." (sic)

Post the #MeToo movement and the uproar against Anu Malik, the Women and Child Development Ministry has reportedly begun listing all sex offenders in a digital database. On the other hand, the musician continues to deny all the harassment charges levied against him.