Comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli charged with sexual offences

SCOTTISH comedian and celebrity chef Hardeep Singh Kohli has been arrested and charged with “non-recent” sexual offences.

Police Scotland said in a statement that the 54-year-old man, “arrested and charged in connection with allegations of non-recent sexual offences,” was released on an undertaking to appear in court at a later date.

“A report of the circumstances has been submitted to the procurator fiscal,” the force said without giving further details.

But The Times reported last month that the television presenter who previously worked with the BBC was accused of behaving in a “predatory” manner with women.

According to the newspaper report, several individuals alleged harassment and unwanted advances and physical contact by the father of two. They included a disability campaigner who claimed Kohli made sexual comments over the phone and sent her a series of messages which she was not comfortable with.

Kohli was born in London to Punjabi parents before his family moved to Glasgow when he was four.

Having been a BBC Scotland graduate trainee, he featured in several programmes of broadcasters including the BBC, Channel 4 and UKTV.

The winner of Royal Television Society and Bafta awards teamed up with his writer-actor brother Sanjeev for the Channel 4 series Meet the Magoons. The six-episode comedy was based on a family of Punjabi curry house owners living in Glasgow.

The occasional columnist was also on the panel of judges for the Man Booker literature prize in 2008.