Comedian Utsav Chakraborty faces multiple charges of sexual harassment, even from minors

Comedian Utsav Chakraborty | @Wootsaw/Twitter

Utsav Chakraborty says issue ‘needs context’ but doesn’t elaborate. AIB condemns his alleged behaviour and delists videos featuring him.

Mumbai: Comedian Utsav Chakraborty, who has worked with comedy group All India Bakchod (AIB), Thursday faced allegations of sexual harassment by several women on social media.

In a thread of Tweets, women complained of having received explicit pictures from Chakraborty on social media.

Saw this on my tl. Interesting for you to comment on how Indian men harass women

— Mahima Kukreja 🌱🌈✊🏽 (@AGirlOfHerWords) October 4, 2018

Some also said he asked them to send him their nude pictures. Some of the posts suggest that Chakraborty allegedly attempted to harass underage girls in a similar manner.

The Mumbai Police has taken cognisance of the allegations and sent a tweet to one of the complainants, requesting for her contact details.

However, as of Friday noon, the complainants had not contacted Mumbai police.

Mumbai police spokesperson Manjunath Singe, a deputy commissioner of police, told ThePrint, “We have got in touch with them (the complainants) and asked them to register a complaint with the nearest police station.”

“There has been no response from their side yet. We will be able to act further only once they respond and complain,” Singe added.

Following the allegations, Chakraborty tweeted saying the whole issue “needs a lot of context”, but did not elaborate.

“I don’t know what to say here and fight back or even if I should. Literally everyone I know has turned against me and I don’t blame them for that. But the whole thing is far more complicated than it appears,” he tweeted. “I am not discrediting anyone. It’s not my place to. But this whole thing needs a lot of patience. And an incredible amount of context. Which I will give. Hopefully sooner than later.”

Later on Thursday night, Chakraborty posted a series of tweets attempting to apologise and explain his behaviour, saying it was never his intention to make anyone uncomfortable.

His first tweet said, “To be honest, from all accounts, I’ve been a piece of shit. And I’ll do everything I can work past that. There was no excuse. I know inconsiderate and entitled.”

“Even in this narrative, when this whole thing started, I kept looking at myself as a victim (sic),” he added.

Getting nude photos from someone was an instant rush, he said, and he looked at it as plain sexting because, in his mind, he had made up “this egalitarian society where women constantly don’t get harassed”.

He, however, added that he had never harassed an underage person with requests for nude pictures. “…I’ve never asked an underage person for nudes. If it can be proved in any way I am ready to take the due course of the law (sic),” Chakraborty said.

AIB’s statement

AIB issued a statement condemning Chakraborty’s alleged behavior, and said the group will fully cooperate if the charges result in an investigation.

“We have been following the allegations made on social media this afternoon by women against Utsav Chakraborty, who has featured in some of our videos. The accusations describe a pattern of behaviour that is unacceptable and we at AIB condemn Utsav’s alleged behaviour,” the statement read.

“We are also aware that by extending safe working spaces and a collaborative environment to people like Utsav, we have contributed towards a toxic environment that can be scary and unsafe for women.”

AIB also said that pending the result of any such investigation, it is delisting all videos on its channel featuring Chakraborty.