Sotheby’s MD Gaurav Bhatia Resigns Month After #MeToo Allegations

Bhatia was accused of allegedly touching the victims’ inappropriately and forcibly trying to kiss them.

Gaurav Bhatia, in a statement, said he had decided to move on after two successful years with the auction house.

(Photo: Gaurav Bhatia’s Linkedin Profile)

Gaurav Bhatia has resigned as Sotheby's Managing Director of India, nearly a month after he went on a leave of absence following allegations of sexual misconduct, the auction house said on Saturday.

Bhatia, who was the South Asia operations head and the driving force behind Boundless: India, Sotheby’s maiden auction in the country, put in his papers on 20 December 2018.

Bhatia, resigned on 20 December 2018 after two years with the company, “during which time he launched the inaugural Mumbai auction. We appreciate and thank him for his service,” the auction house told PTI.

Bhatia, in a statement, said he had decided to move on after two successful years with the auction house.

After two enriching years and the stellar opportunity to launch Sotheby’s inaugural auction in Mumbai, I have decided to move on. It has been a pleasure working with the great team we have built, and I will enjoy watching them continue to build Sotheby’s future in India. I wish them the very best.

Gaurav Bhatia

According to the anonymous allegations against Bhatia that surfaced on social media, he touched the victims' inappropriately and forcibly tried to kiss them.

Bhatia was among the big names that were called out in the Me Too movement in the Indian art world, besides leading artists like Jatin Das, Riyas Komu and most recently Subodh Gupta.