Vikas Bahl's alleged sexual misconduct row: Anurag Kashyap quits as MAMI board member

In a tweet, Kashyap said: "In the light of the current events , I have decided to step back from my duties as a board member from MAMI until the shadow of doubt of our alleged complicitiness in silence and not doing anything about it , is cleared."

Kashyap had said he knew of the sexual abuse allegations made against co-owner of Phantom Films Vikas Bahl which were levelled against him by a former employee of the company.

He issued the statement after Huffington Post India published an article on Saturday giving details of the victim’s account of assault.

In his statement, Kashyap said he was misguided by those who were in-charge of the legal department. He said he had apologised to the victim.

Kashyap claimed in his statement that he 'named and shamed' Bahl in film circles.

He said the Phantom Films contract did not allow him to fire Bahl from the company.

Kashyap said he suspended Bahl as well as revoked his signing authority.   

The film director also wrote in the statement that the film industry is singularly 'ill-equipped to handle matters such as sexual harassment'

In the following tweet, Kashyap lashed out at all those, who had mistaken him over the entire matter for allegedly staying silent over the matter.

The filmmaker tweeted, "On the other hand I vehemently deny to have stayed silent on the issue & not doing anything about it for years. Can’t explain further to people who don’t understand due process, legalities. Have been resilient through all accusations , keep flinging them my way."

Meanwhile, actress Kangana Ranaut said she believed the victim and her charges against Bahl.

Kangana had worked with Bahl in Queen.

"Totally believe her. Even though Vikas was married back in 2014 when we were filming Queen, he bragged about having casual sex with a new partner every other day. I don't judge people and their marriages but you can tell when addiction becomes sickness. He partied every night and shamed me for sleeping early and not being cool enough," the actress told India Today.

Speaking about her own experience, she said: "I often told him off. He was scared of me but still every time we met socially greeted and hugged each other, he'd bury his face in my neck and hold me really tight and breathe in the smell of my hair. It took me great amount of strength and effort to pull myself out of his embrace. He'd say, 'I love how you smell K'."

The Queen actress further said: "I could tell something is wrong with him. I believe this girl."