Kochi: The Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) has dropped the plans to initate a probe against Riyas Komu, artist and a founding trustee of the KBF, on anonymous allegations of sexual assault leveled against him.
A statement issued by KBF after meeting of the KBF board of trustees on Thursday said the internal complaints committee of the KBF has recommended dropping the inquiry as no complaint was registered by anyone in the matter.
Komu has stepped down from all management positions of KBF on October 19, 2018 following the anonymous allegations surfacing first in social media platforms. A meeting of the trust convened soon after, decided that Lizzie Jacob, trustee and former chief secretary of Kerala, and chair of the internal complaints committee, would proactively seek the complaint and authorise an inquiry, the statement said.
Since no complaint was forthcoming after pursuing the matter for several weeks, the ICC recommended the dropping of the inquiry suggested by the Foundation. This recommendation has been examined and has been accepted by the board of trustees at its meeting held on Thursday, the statement said.
The meeting has expressed the hope that Komu will resume his role at the KBF soon. The KBF statement however remained silent on the ongoing dispute between a private contractor and KBF over the payment of dues to the contractor who undertook the work of a pavilion for the event.
