Panel probing 'misconduct' of Gundechas is problematic: TM Krishna
TM Krishna has questioned the constitution of the internal panel formed by Dhrupad Sansthan to probe sexual harassment charges against two of the Gundecha Brothers, saying the members of the panel are in some manner connected to the accused or the organisation.
Classical vocalist TM Krishna has questioned the constitution of the internal panel formed by Dhrupad Sansthan to probe sexual harassment charges against two of the Gundecha Brothers, saying the members of the panel are in some manner connected to the accused or the organisation.
The prestigious Dhrupad Sansthan in Bhopal had recently hit the headlines over harassment charges against two famed gurus – Ramakant Gundecha and Akhilesh Gundecha. While Ramakant died last year, the institute said an internal panel would look into the charges against Akhilesh.
However, Krishna found the constitution of the panel “deeply problematic” and said, “Every member…has been connected to the Dhrupad Sansthan or the Gundecha Brothers in some manner.”
“This fundamentally undermines the objectivity of the committee and puts a question mark on the intentions of the organisation,” he said on Facebook on Monday (September 7).
He said this is similar to what has been done in the past in other spheres, “where the powerful put up a facade of being proactive, but do everything to protect their own interests.”
In his post, he shared details about the panel that he said was forwarded to him. According to the post, the panel comprises Sushama Iyengar, Mona Dikshit, Anshu Vaish, and Munshi Singh Chandrawat.
Seeking to establish a link between the panel members and the accused or the institute, it said social activist Sushama Iyengar was a student of the Gundechas while Mona Dikshit is the daughter-in-law of former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit who has been an admirer of the Gundecha Brothers.
Related news: Dhrupad Sansthan probes sexual harassment charges against Gundechas
Retired IAS officer Anshu Vaish has been close to them for many years and has been a regular invitee to the home of the Gundechas, according to the post. Both Munshi Singh Chandrawat and Gundechas’ brother-in-law Ajay Kumar Tailor have served as district judges at the same time, it said, adding that “it is inconceivable that they don’t know each other personally.”
The allegations against the Gundechas first surfaced in a Facebook post by a group titled ‘Dhrupad Family Europe’, and emailed to the students of the musicians, highlighting alleged harassment by the two gurus for years. It said the alleged victims of the two gurus had kept quiet due to threats.