Anu Malik a paedophile, claims singer

Shweta Pandit recalls an incident with the 'Main Hoon Na' composer that traumatised her

India's #MeToo awakening has shaken Bollywood to its very core. With several bigwigs accused of sexual harassment and misconduct in the past few weeks, veteran music composer Anu Malik was alleged with similar assertions.

However, in a recent development, a singer has come forward with claims, recalling an incident with the Main Hoon Na composer that traumatised her.

PHOTO: HINDUSTAN TIMES

“It has taken a lot in me to open up this wound again and speak up against this pedophile and sexual predator," Shweta Pandit wrote on Twitter. "It was the year 2000 when I was launched as a lead singer with Mohabbatein. I got a call from Anu Malik’s then manager to come sometime in mid 2001. I was thrilled like any singer would be," she went on.

Had to go back to my worst memory as a teenage girl today to write this and speak up - its now or never. This is my #MeToo and have to warn young girls about #AnuMalik & let you know your #TimesUp @IndiaMeToo
Thank you @sonamohapatra for speaking up about him & supporting this pic.twitter.com/e261pGQyEq

— Shweta Pandit (@ShwetaPandit7) October 17, 2018

"I used to admire his music and practice his songs for hours and look up to him back then! He told me to wait in the small cabin inside where singers sang. It was just him and me there," added Pandit.

She added, “He asked me to sing something without any music as he wanted to hear my voice. I remember I sang the title song of Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega as a voice test for this man."

She then said Malik told her to give a chance to sing with Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan (who are big names in Bollywood's playback singing scene) "if he gave her a kiss first."

PHOTO: HINDUSTAN TIMES

"He then smiled, what I'd recall the most evil grin I've seen. I went numb and pale in the face. I was only 15-year-old then, still in school. Can anyone even imagine what it felt that moment? It felt like someone had just stabbed me in my stomach,” added the singer.

Pandit, however, isn't first woman to have accused Malik of harassment. Sona Mohapatra, in an interview with Hindustan Times earlier revealed that she faced harassment by the hands of music composer.

She called out Malik publicly for harassing her. Now the 42-year-old singer has given out details of various incidents, which include the Ishq composer repeatedly calling her at unearthly hours and passed vulgar remarks in front of her husband, Ram Sampath.



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