Police in Scotland have opened investigations into sexual harassment allegations against British Indian Sikh broadcaster, writer, chef, and comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli. Kohli, who describes himself as a ‘broadcaster, podcaster, and curry content creator,’ has presented several programs for the BBC and other broadcasters. In 2020, the BBC ended all ties with Kohli after he was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior by numerous women following an investigation by the Times of London. The Gilded Balloon, one of the main venue operators at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, imposed a lifetime ban on Kohli due to complaints from its staff and performers.
Kohli apologized in a statement in 2020 for making women feel ‘intimidated, undermined, and undervalued.’ However, more women have recently come forward with allegations against him, bringing the total number of complainants to over 20. Last week, Kohli was banned for life from all of Pleasance’s 27 venues, which had previously hosted his performances. The action was taken after a woman alleged that he groped her breasts in a lift at the festival in 2013, when she was 19 and he was 44, according to the Times.
In another new complaint, a woman claimed that Kohli made unwanted and aggressive sexual advances towards her after inviting her for an interview at his London flat when she was 22. She stated that he repeatedly asked for sex and got aggressive and angry. The woman mentioned feeling trapped and wanted to escape through the window, but couldn’t due to the height of the flat. After a few minutes, she took deep breaths and left. Kohli then escorted her to the front door and told her, ‘You had your chance,’ according to her statement to the Times.
Police Scotland has confirmed that they are now investigating these new claims against Kohli. This follows an email received by one of the original complainants, who alleged that Kohli came to her house, tried to kiss her, and asked her to perform oral sex. Kohli was born in London, and his parents emigrated from Punjab, India, in the 1960s. These recent revelations coincide with a major scandal involving a BBC star presenter accused of paying a teenager £35,000 in exchange for sexually explicit images.
