MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SOTHEBY’S INDIA GAURAV BHATIA DEPARTS FOLLOWING SEXUAL HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS

Gaurav Bhatia.

January 07, 2019 at 10:59am

Nearly one month after Gaurav Bhatia, the managing director of Sotheby’s India, took a leave of absence following allegations of sexual misconduct, the arts professional has stepped down. During his two-year tenure at the auction house, he launched its inaugural auction in Mumbai, which fetched $7.9 million in November 2018. In a statement, Sotheby’s said, “We appreciate and thank him for his service.”
Accusations against Bhatia first surfaced on the anonymous Instagram account Scene and Herd (@herdsceneand), which has become an empowering platform for victims of sexual assault and harassment in the Indian art world. The posts detailing incidents with Bhatia describe interactions that ranged from unwanted touching to physical assault. Several other cultural figures have also been named on the account.

After Bhatia’s departure was announced, the account featured a new post informing its followers of the news. It reads: “We’re actually speechless right now. None of this work we are doing has been easy and we couldn’t have done this without these amazing courageous individuals who put their trust in us and for allies of different kinds helping us unconditionally.”

The increasing number of reports of sexual harassment in the South Asian art world led more than 270 figures to sign a statement calling for the creative community to protect victims and advocating for “the necessary legal and informal support mechanisms” to address the challenges they face by coming forward.

The statement, which began circulating before Christmas, reads: “Survivors who publicly tell their stories face serious forms of retaliation. They are reluctant to disclose their identities because they fear losing work. As a community, we commit to ensuring that people who are speaking out are protected, and that professional opportunities are not denied to them. We respect the truth and stand in solidarity with those who come out with their stories.”