Arunabh Qtiyapa : Why TVF has Failed Us

The very popular web channel “The Viral Fever” got caught up in the fever of what to say and what not to when the Co-Founder Arunabh Kumar was accused of sexual harassment. The woman took to social media to express her horrific experience of working in TVF for 2 years in an anonymous blog. The writer has a pen name of ‘Indian Fowler’. Once the post became the talk of the town, many women stepped in to express their encounters with the Co-Founder.

The video content produced by TVF is highly popular among the youth. Needless to say, the news didn’t go well with the fans. Social media is flooded with mixed reactions. What amazes us is the ‘official statement’ released by the team which is embedded with sentiments rather than facts. The official statement states that “We will leave no stone unturned to find the author of the article and bring them to severe justice for making such false allegations.”

On what basis has TVF called the accusation false? It may be the case that the victim is lying and Arunabh Kumar is innocent. One cannot judge with an anonymous blog post. However, if a girl accuses one of sexual abuse, one cannot dismiss the complaint without proper investigation on the accused. TVF, which nearly has 120 team members now, does not follow Vishaka guidelines (Anti-sexual harassment law at the workplace) and hence, does not have a proper channel and committee which victim can approach. Choice of words like ‘Severe justice’ is threatening rather than convincing. We did not expect such an immature reply from a successful start-up like this.

Although no FIR has been lodged so far, the news has created a buzz in the comedy industry. In case, a case is filled we can only hope for a fair trial.