Sexual Assault Allegations Against Therapist Spark Resignations in Mumbai’s LABIA LGBT Collective
Mumbai’s queer feminist collective LABIA faces backlash after therapist Aanchal Narang admitted to a 2019 sexual assault incident involving another member. The allegation, revealed via social media, triggered the resignation of three senior members, including Chayanika Shah and Shals Mahajan. Critics accuse the leadership of enabling Narang and delaying action. The group’s future hangs in balance as internal calls for justice grow louder.
Mumbai – A Mumbai-based queer feminist collective, LABIA (formerly Stree Sangam), is under fire after public allegations of sexual assault against one of its members led to the resignation of three senior figures. The controversy centers around Aanchal Narang, a mental health therapist and longtime member of the group, who has been accused of sexual assault by another member.
The allegations first came to light on April 2, 2021, when a Twitter user named Chitra shared a now-deleted thread that included screenshots of a detailed statement from the survivor. Chitra claimed to have the survivor’s explicit consent to post the account, which describes an incident in November 2019 in which Narang allegedly pinned down and sexually assaulted the victim.
According to Chitra, senior LABIA members Chayanika Shah and Shals Mahajan were informed about the assault within weeks of the incident but failed to act. The survivor’s email, sent on June 13, 2020, was later shared with the collective on July 21, after which an internal committee was formed to investigate. Chitra accused the collective's leadership of enabling Narang’s behavior and attempting to silence voices calling for accountability.
The committee’s findings reportedly validated the survivor’s account and confirmed that multiple senior members had prior knowledge of the incident but did not intervene. The fallout has led to the resignation of Chayanika Shah, Shals Mahajan, and Mridul Dudeja — the latter being a transgender man who served on the internal investigative committee. All three stepped down on April 4, 2021.
Chitra further claimed that members who tried to warn others about Narang were reprimanded. One example she cited was an October 2020 email from senior members expressing concern that Narang’s professional reputation was being damaged by others warning organizations about her.
In response to the allegations, Aanchal Narang admitted publicly on Twitter that she violated the survivor’s physical boundaries during the November 3, 2019, incident, attributing her behavior to being intoxicated and seeking comfort. Narang acknowledged wrongdoing, stating that there is “no justification” for her actions. She also claimed she has been blacklisted by multiple organizations and refuted rumors of having multiple POCSO cases filed against her.
Narang added that she has taken steps to become more aware of her behavior and has informed her personal and professional circles about the incident. She denied grooming or manipulating the victim and ended her statement with an apology to the survivor and those affected by the news.
As LABIA grapples with internal divisions and reputational damage, the collective’s future remains uncertain. Many within the group reportedly support the survivor and are calling for justice. However, the resignations of key members and the delay in addressing the allegation have raised serious questions about accountability and safe spaces within activist communities.