Police are investigating the former BBC presenter of Sikhs for harassing more than 20 women

LONDON, July 13 (IANS) Police in Scotland said they have launched an investigation after new complaints emerged over allegations of sexual harassment against British Sikh chef and broadcaster Hardeep Singh Kohli, according to media reports.

The Times reported that Kohli, 54, a presenter and former BBC presenter, author and chef, has been accused by more than 20 women of predatory and sexually inappropriate behaviour.

The newspaper reported this week that a former Labor Party official alleged that Kohli bombarded her with unwanted sexual comments after he reached out to her on social media.

“He called me and immediately started talking about sex,” she said.

“I told him I didn’t feel comfortable but he tried to figure out there was something wrong with me because I didn’t want to engage him in a sexual conversation.”

Kohli deleted his Twitter profile earlier this week after women used the platform to accuse him of sexually inappropriate behaviour.

According to The Times, last week, a woman claimed that Kohli groped her breasts and kissed her against her will when she was 19 and he was 44.

Another woman alleged that Kohli pushed her against a wall and tried to drag her into his bedroom.

After allegations of abuse he was banned for life last week by one of the Edinburgh Fringe’s biggest venues.

Kohli, who had previously sung at some of his venues, will no longer be welcomed by Pleasance, which operates 27 venues across three locations during Fringe Festival.

In 2020, he had apologized for “intimidating, undermining, and belittling” women after several women complained about his unwanted advances, inappropriate touching, and even derogatory rape jokes.

Born in London to immigrant parents from Punjab, Kohli has presented numerous programs for the BBC and other broadcasters, finishing as runner-up in the 2006 edition of Celebrity Masterchef.

The BBC severed ties with him in 2020.

Prior to that, the BBC suspended him for six months as a reporter in 2009 after allegations of inappropriate behavior towards a female researcher.

– Jans

mi / ksk