AIB and controversy have become synonyms of each others lately. Since the unpopular Roast, AIB has been in limelight, mostly for all the wrong reasons. While most of the past issues have been around freedom of expressions, what has come to light today is pretty serious.
A Twitter user Mahima Kukreja accused former AIB employee Utsav of sending her unsolicited photos of his genital to her. And it doesn’t stop there. Plenty of girls have come out with similar stories of harassment done by same employee Utsav including a girl who was 17 when she received message from Utsav. He has also been asking girls to send him nude photos.
Utsav tweeted this earlier this morning.
Oh to be Indian and not die a thousand deaths from second hand embarrassment every day. https://t.co/tfKkv4DRBV
— Utsav (@Wootsaw) October 4, 2018
Mahima Kukreja, who has accused him of the harassment replied with an eye opening thread.
Saw this on my tl. Interesting for you to comment on how Indian men harass women
— Mahima Kukreja ??✊? (@AGirlOfHerWords) October 4, 2018
Irony is still alive and thriving
— Mahima Kukreja ??✊? (@AGirlOfHerWords) October 4, 2018
Did they send unsolicited dick picks or that’s safely only your territory? Or like cry after saying you’ll ruin their career if you tell others? Or will they also blame that on the girls? The harassment they got that is.
— Mahima Kukreja ??✊? (@AGirlOfHerWords) October 4, 2018
And after this Tweet, plenty of girls sent her DMs with similar stories of harassment. Mahima has been sharing all stories in the thread.
Hey Utsav. How many girls have you harassed you vile man. These messages for a young girl I know. pic.twitter.com/fXGWpbqfqf
— Mahima Kukreja ??✊? (@AGirlOfHerWords) October 4, 2018
He also messaged a girl who was 17 at that time!
Hey Utsav. You give your number and slide into DMs of literal children. Like 17 year old girls? You’re a creep of another level. pic.twitter.com/sjdJ5uf8dg
— Mahima Kukreja ??✊? (@AGirlOfHerWords) October 4, 2018
Hey Utsav you asshole. Do you like DMing girls you don’t even know to send nudes? You vile man pic.twitter.com/rAklrKjcke
— Mahima Kukreja ??✊? (@AGirlOfHerWords) October 4, 2018
So Utsav @Wootsaw loves asking women for nudes, he feels entitled to them pic.twitter.com/Wfemcgzlem
— Mahima Kukreja ??✊? (@AGirlOfHerWords) October 4, 2018
I have received an avalanche of messages. He has abused and harassed so many. Will only post the ones I’m given permission to post. Please do check this thread @varungrover @awryaditi.
— Mahima Kukreja ??✊? (@AGirlOfHerWords) October 4, 2018
HOW MANY MORE Utsav I feel sick https://t.co/NLLotUI5uk
— Mahima Kukreja ??✊? (@AGirlOfHerWords) October 4, 2018
Twitter also came out to support Mahima.
What’s up with this Utsav? Your behaviour has been consistently misogynist for a while and you keep pretending to be woke like your boyfriends at AIB who keep you employed as well. Women don’t feel safe around you. What are you doing about this?
— Aditi (hot takes 4 koolkidz) (@awryaditi) October 4, 2018
He used Snapchat so messages disappear. All strength to Mahima for having the courage to call him out and giving US the courage to share our stories with her. https://t.co/LBPwWMqHv0
— (✿◉‿◉)? (@kanikakaul22) October 4, 2018
Since these stories have come out, #AIBalatkaris has been trending on Twitter.
AIB released their official statement condemning Utsav’s behavior.
Statement pic.twitter.com/eLpthXifwf
— All India Bakchod (@AllIndiaBakchod) October 4, 2018
In second Tweet, AIB said that Utsav is not their employee anymore.
A ton of rumours and allegations flying around suggesting Utsav is / was AIB’s Head Writer. Utsav was never our Head Writer. Also, Utsav has not been an employee at AIB since the end of 2016.
AIB said, Utsav has not been an employee since the end of 2016, but Twitter found videos that were released in 2017 and 2018 which featured Utsav.
@thetanmay please explain. When it’s about people you don’t agree with you’re all over Twitter tweeting. And now where are you bro? pic.twitter.com/GmQwlYNcmH
— Kaustubh Mokashi (@kaustubhmok) October 4, 2018
Tweet dated 11 August 2018 from Hotstar that features Utsav has been deleted by Hotstar.
https://twitter.com/hotstartweets/status/1028249679614464000 was the original URL of the Tweet according to Google.
We appreciate AIB for taking down all videos featuring the accused and for issuing a statement immediately condemning the accused, but according to the victim Mahima, one of the founders of AIB was notified of this behavior of Utsav in past. Mahima accused AIB founding team of not taking any steps against Utsav.
AIB knew. I don’t know if all them knew but the person who runs it knew. I told him. AIB still gave him work. You should know this. https://t.co/X4OcM1pcTr
— Mahima Kukreja ??✊? (@AGirlOfHerWords) October 4, 2018
Ashish, I’m so enraged. Ask your three friends until one of them tells you how clearly I told him — in so much pain and anxiety. He told he won’t work with him. Instead he make him a head writer.
— Mahima Kukreja ??✊? (@AGirlOfHerWords) October 4, 2018
Utsav has also released his statement saying he will shortly share context of entire incident.
Statement 1/n pic.twitter.com/sIouz4UsaR
— Utsav (@Wootsaw) October 4, 2018
Sonam Kapoor tweeted this in the raw.
Good on you AIB https://t.co/AFXPq6NwMf
— Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamakapoor) October 4, 2018
She was also called out for her double standards.
Ghar se Kuch dur
Nikalte hi Chalte hi pic.twitter.com/RBpcZCDL4S— Yo Yo Funny Singh (@moronhumor) October 4, 2018
Female harassment on online forums by Indian men is nothing new to us. It will probably take ages before we learn how to treat women. But this behavior is certainly not expected from an employee of leading new-age media company.