Comedian and broadcaster Hardeep Singh Kohli has been arrested, charged and released by Police Scotland over alleged sexual offenses.
Kohli will appear in court at a later date.
The police action comes after an investigation by the U.K.’s The Times newspaper, which alleged that Kohli had been accused of sexually inappropriate behaviour by more than 20 women. The Times investigation into Kohli’s alleged behavior began in 2020. Some 16 women had come forward at that time with more in July 2023. The police had confirmed in July that “enquiries are ongoing.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said on Wednesday: “A 54-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with allegations of non-recent sexual offences. He has been released on an undertaking to appear in court at a later date. A report of the circumstances has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”
In the 1990s, Kohli was a director on the BAFTA and Royal Television Society Award-winning BBC children’s show “It’ll Never Work.” In 2004, he wrote, directed and starred in Channel 4’s “Meet the Magoons.” In 2006, he participated in the first series of BBC’s “Celebrity MasterChef” and finished runner up.
In 2008, Kohli presented UKTV cookery series “New British Kitchen.” In 2009, he was suspended as a contributor from BBC1s “The One Show” after a complaint of inappropriate behaviour from a female colleague. The suspension was for six months, but Kohli did not return and later claimed that the “BBC hung me out to dry.”
In 2018, he entered “Celebrity Big Brother” as a celebrity housemate.
After the 2020 misconduct allegations against him, Kohli apologized, saying: “It is now clear to me that my actions and words made women feel intimidated, undermined and undervalued. For this, I apologize unreservedly and can only hope to live a life of greater understanding.”