FIR Filed Against TVF’s Arunabh Kumar On Sexual Harassment Charges

FIR Filed Against TVF’s Arunabh Kumar On Sexual Harassment Charges

Hours after reports surfaced that the Mumbai police was likely to close the probe into the Arunabh Kumar sexual harassment row  as no survivor came forward to lodge a complaint, the tables seemed to have turned on him.

An FIR was filed against Kumar yesterday under sections 354 A (causing sexual harassment) and 509 (insult the modesty of a woman by indecent words, gesture or acts) of the Indian Penal Code at the MIDC police station in Mumbai’s Andheri East suburb. The complaint has been filed on the basis of one woman coming forward.

The identity of the woman who has filed the complaint remains undisclosed. Multiple women had spoken out on social media after the co-founder of TVF was accused of sexual misconduct by an anonymous Medium blogger. But no victim had come forward in the weeks after the allegations were made public, to formally lodge a complaint against him.

Consequently, a third-party police complaint had been filed requesting an FIR against the TVF boss, by Mumbai-based lawyer Rizwan Siddiquee who, in a series of social media posts, had also urged the women to come forward.

Yesterday, after reports surfaced that the police might close the investigation due to a lack of women coming forward, Rizwan told Inc42 that, as per Section 166 A(c) of the Criminal law (Amendment) Act, 2013, the police cannot conduct an inquiry but have to investigate all complaints falling under 354 of the Indian Penal Code, by duly registering an FIR.

He also added that he had made a criminal complaint to the metropolitan magistrate to prosecute the sub-inspector and the DCP as they have blatantly failed to investigate the matter. He disclosed that while three women have spoken to him regarding the case but, as they were not confident about the system, they were reluctant to come forward to register a complaint.

The women also were scared as they felt that the accused was influential. However, with just one woman coming forward, the police now have all the grounds to pursue the case against Arunabh.

Speaking to Inc42, Rizwan cleared that the FIR has been filed because one of the victims came forward and has directly registered the complaint with her name as a complainant. His complaint also stands as is. Further commenting on the reports of the police closing the probe, he added that the police were just trying to confuse the media; they can only close investigations but do not have the authority to close complaints.

This new development puts TVF in a tough spot again, which was gearing up to launch its new web series Bisht, Please! on March 31, 2017 featuring co-founder Nidhi Bisht. The series which was scheduled to launch on 18th March had been cancelled after the whole controversy began on March 12.

Bisht had earlier written about her own experience of working at TVF in response to the slew of accusations posed on social media regarding her co-founder Kumar’s alleged misbehaviour stating that “TVF has zero tolerance towards workplace harassment and an investigation will be conducted and appropriate actions will be taken.”

 

You have reached your limit of free stories
Become An Inc42 Plus Member

Become a Startup Insider in 2024 with Inc42 Plus. Join our exclusive community of 10,000+ founders, investors & operators and stay ahead in India’s startup & business economy.

2 YEAR PLAN
₹19999
₹7999
₹333/Month
Unlock 60% OFF
Cancel Anytime
1 YEAR PLAN
₹9999
₹4999
₹416/Month
Unlock 50% OFF
Cancel Anytime
Already A Member?
Discover Startups & Business Models

Unleash your potential by exploring unlimited articles, trackers, and playbooks. Identify the hottest startup deals, supercharge your innovation projects, and stay updated with expert curation.

FIR Filed Against TVF’s Arunabh Kumar On Sexual Harassment Charges-Inc42 Media
How-To’s on Starting & Scaling Up

Empower yourself with comprehensive playbooks, expert analysis, and invaluable insights. Learn to validate ideas, acquire customers, secure funding, and navigate the journey to startup success.

FIR Filed Against TVF’s Arunabh Kumar On Sexual Harassment Charges-Inc42 Media
Identify Trends & New Markets

Access 75+ in-depth reports on frontier industries. Gain exclusive market intelligence, understand market landscapes, and decode emerging trends to make informed decisions.

FIR Filed Against TVF’s Arunabh Kumar On Sexual Harassment Charges-Inc42 Media
Track & Decode the Investment Landscape

Stay ahead with startup and funding trackers. Analyse investment strategies, profile successful investors, and keep track of upcoming funds, accelerators, and more.

FIR Filed Against TVF’s Arunabh Kumar On Sexual Harassment Charges-Inc42 Media
FIR Filed Against TVF’s Arunabh Kumar On Sexual Harassment Charges-Inc42 Media
You’re in Good company