TVF CEO Arunabh Kumar, on Friday announced that he is quitting the company months after being accused of sexual harrassment at workplace. Kumar had been booked on charges of molestation in April. Many women employees had complained against him. He posted an open letter on Twitter announcing his separation.
He posted an open letter on Twitter, in which he wrote, “I have decided to step down as #TVFCEO”.
“The last few months have been the most challenging of my life, and I would like to thank my friends and family for their unwavering support,” the letter read.
Arunabh also said that he has full confidence “that the truth will prevail”.
TVF, known for its satirical takes on Indian politics, movies, lifestyle and the social system, on Friday announced the appointment of Dhawal Gusain as the company's new CEO.
Gusain has been with TVF since 2015 as Chief Operating Officer of the firm. With over a decade of industry experience, he has been in leadership and management roles across various sectors and geographies.
Kumar made headlines first when a female 'staffer' under the pseudonym Indian Fowler posted a blog at medium.com, accusing him of sexual advances at the workplace, and his several attempts to exploit her during her tenure between 2014 and 2016.
In the response section, another female employee shared her ordeal at TVF, saying that she "had to face a similar experience while working there. I felt exploited and cheated and I left my job under very bad circumstances".
The blog post by the woman was widely shared on social media leading to around 50 women – both anonymously and otherwise – sharing similar experiences of harassment by Kumar.
TVF had then denied all allegations and said it would "leave no stone unturned to find the author of the article and bring them to severe justice for making such false allegations".
Kumar, an IIT graduate, founded TVF in 2011.
