Singers Shweta Pandit and Alisha Chinai charge musician Anu Malik
Singer Shweta Pandit, who has accused veteran music composer Anu Malik of sexual misconduct, says child abuse is not taken seriously by men in the country.
Pandit tweeted: “All these ‘young men’ on Twitter, who keep asking ‘so what happens next’ in a few days of my tweet are forgetting that I kept this in my heart for 17 years. We live in a country that constantly questions ‘only women’ on the silliest of things. We don’t want any more dumb questions. Post my tweet I’ve also realised that child abuse is not taken seriously by most men (mindset is totally wrong) in India. ‘Just a peck’, ‘oh it must be like uncle’, ‘it must be on cheek’ came across some disturbing mentalities/replies online India #MeToo Maneka Gandhi.” Pandit, in a Twitter post, had recounted her ordeal with Malik in an incident dating back to 2000. She claims once in a cabin at a studio, he told her he would give her a song with Sunidhi Chauhan and Shaan “but first give me a kiss”.
“He then smiled, what I would recall the most evil grin I’ve seen,” Pandit said of the incident when she was all of 15 years old.
Malik has denied allegations that he sexually harassed Pandit, who has called him a “pedophile” and “sexual predator”.
She then wrote that if “you guys are trivialising my experience as a 15-year-old as ‘just a peck’ or no big deal, you need to be slapped by your mother at home and also know that you have the germs of becoming a predator yourself!”
“Every word said and written about Anu Malik is true. I stand by all the women who have finally spoken up. May they find peace and closure in their lives,” Alisha say.
Singer Alisha Chinai too who worked with him extensively in the ‘90s, has said that she believes everything that has been written and said about him. She had accused Malik of molestation in the ‘90s. The matter was settled a few years later and they reconciled as co-judges on Indian Idol.
“When I sued (Anu) Malik, I fought it alone. It was an unprecedented landmark verdict and a restraining order was passed against him. The man has repeatedly begged for my forgiveness. I have chosen to forgive him and moved on,” Alisha said.
Alisha went on to say that Malik would routinely prey up girls his daughters’ age, and often in their presence at his house. “Shweta Pandit, who disclosed her horrific experience with Malik, is the niece of composer duo Jatin-Lalit. Malik has two daughters and all these years he has been preying on girls his daughters’ age. Many of them were attacked in his house with his wife and daughters present,” she said.