Sony Entertainment had maintained a stoic silence when it reinstated Anu Malik as one of the judges on Indian Idol 11 in September this year. Not surprisingly, the channel continued to keep mum as the music composer, who has been accused of sexual harassment by several women — including Sona Mohapatra, Shweta Pandit and Neha Bhasin — stepped down from his role yesterday

A source reveals, "Anu Malik conveyed his decision to leave the show late afternoon. On Tuesday, he shot for the episodes, which will air this weekend. The channel is looking for a replacement."